The production of bread in conical moulds at the beginning of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom. The contribution of experimental archaeology

Abstract

Despite rich iconographic documentation, and the abundance of culinary ceramics discovered in archaeological sites, the process of bread production in moulds has intrigued Egyptologists for many years. Experiments presented in this article proposes a new chaîne opératoire for the production of bread in conical moulds dating from the early Middle Kingdom (2050–1900 BCE), mainly based on results from the site of Ain Sukhna. Thanks to a new analysis of the iconography, a re-examination of the ceramics, and a close collaboration with a farmer-baker using flours made from “old wheat”, experimentation produced perfectly baked breads that did not require breaking the ceramics to remove them from the moulds. The experiment also provides an explanation of the conical shape of the moulds, and the presence of several internal linings, as well as a better understanding of the role played by the use of low gluten flours, particularly starch-based flours, and the use of sourdough starter.