Ancient Egyptians weren’t just about pyramids, gold masks, and epic eyeliner—they were also packing snacks for the afterlife. And not just any snacks: cheese.
The Cheese in the Tomb
In 2010, archaeologists rediscovered the tomb of Ptahmes, the mayor of Memphis (the capital of Ancient Egypt). Inside one of the broken jars, they found a mysterious, white, solidified lump sealed under a cloth lid. Tests later revealed it wasn’t plaster, soap, or some random goo—it was cheese, made around 3,200 years ago.
The Taste Test You Don’t Want
Before you imagine a fancy tomb charcuterie board, here’s the catch: this cheese wasn’t exactly edible. Scientists found it was made from a mix of sheep and goat milk, maybe even some cow’s milk. But it also carried traces of Brucella melitensis, a bacterium that causes brucellosis—a disease with fever, sweating, and muscle aches as the main course. So yeah, this was one cheese you wouldn’t want to spread on bread.
Cheese vs. Bread and Beer
Bread and beer show up everywhere in Egyptian tombs—sealed jars of barley beer and pots of flour were everyday staples. Cheese? Not so much. It spoiled too fast, and when it did appear, it was usually the fancy kind—aged, salted, halloumi-style blocks for elites.
So Ptahmes being buried with cheese wasn’t basic grocery shopping; it was a luxury send-off.
Why It’s a Big Deal
This discovery was more than a gross-out story. It’s the first direct evidence that Ancient Egyptians were cheesemakers, not just milk drinkers. Murals had shown dairy scenes and tiny traces of milk proteins had been found on ancient teeth, but this was the real deal: a whole chunk of ancient dairy tech.
The Oldest Cheese Crown
For a while, Ptahmes’s afterlife snack wore the crown as the world’s oldest cheese. But then scientists studying burials in western China found kefir cheese dating back 3,500+ years. So Egypt lost the title by a few centuries, but still gets major credit for putting cheese on the historical map.
Afterlife Priorities
Think about it: Ptahmes’s family made sure to bury him not just with gold and jewels, but with cheese—proof that comfort food has always been a human priority. If eternity is long, better bring snacks.
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