3,200 year cheese contains deadly bacteria in Egyptian tombs

Researchers found the world's oldest nearly-old cheese jar in the grave of a senior official in ancient Egypt.

The cheese jar is buried next to Ptahmes, the mayor of the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis, according to Long Room. His tomb was rediscovered in 2010 after being buried by desert sand.

Cheese contains Brucella bacteria in the jar.(Photo: Enrico Greco).

White solid contained in a jar with canvas cover for preservation. After processing the specimen, the research team purified protein components and analyzed by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The peptide chains found in two techniques showed that specimens were products made from cow's milk and sheep or goat's milk. " The characteristics of the canvas indicate that it is more suitable for storage of solids than liquids. The absence of other factors also tries to conclude that dairy products are solid cheeses," the team said.

Other peptide chains in the sample revealed contaminated products Brucella melitensis , the bacterium that causes Brucella. This is a disease that can be lethal, spread from animals to humans, often by eating unpasteurized dairy products. If the preliminary analysis of the research group is confirmed, the specimen will be the earliest biological molecular evidence of the disease.

"The analyte in the study could be the oldest solid residue of cheese ever found. Exposure for thousands of years with an alkaline-rich medium in soil containing sodium carbonate and desert conditions do not stop. blocking the identification of specific peptide chains , " said Dr. Enrico Greco, a chemist at the University of Catania, Italy.

The tomb of mayor Ptahmes, south of Cairo, was first discovered in 1885. Ptahmes was also the commander in chief of the army, the custodian of the country and the royal historian under pharaoh Seti I and his son Ramses II in the 13th century BC.