Archaeologists in Topraktepe (ancient Eirenopolis), near Ermenek in Turkey’s Karaman province, have uncovered five carbonized loaves of bread dating to the 7th–8th centuries CE — among the best-preserved examples ever found in Anatolia.

According to the Karaman Governorship, the breads were made from barley flour and feature decorative impressions. Beyond shedding light on everyday diet during the Early Middle Ages, these finds also offer valuable insight into the ritual and liturgical practices of early Christian communities.

One of the loaves stands out for its extraordinary iconography: rather than depicting the familiar “Christ Pantocrator” motif, it shows a “Christ the Sower/Farmer” — an image that evokes the themes of cultivation and sustenance.

An accompanying Greek inscription, deciphered through epigraphic study, reads “With gratitude to Blessed Jesus.”
Experts suggest that this imagery may reflect symbolic associations of fertility, labor, and divine provision that were central to the piety of the period.

The other four loaves display Maltese cross impressions, suggesting a link to Eucharistic or Communion breads (prosphora) used in early Christian rites. The coexistence of cross motifs and a dedicatory inscription to Jesus strongly supports this interpretation. However, researchers note that further multidisciplinary analyses are needed to determine the exact context of use.

The remarkable preservation of the breads is due to carbonization caused by intense heat or fire. While organic materials typically decay quickly, in oxygen-deprived conditions they can char and retain their form and surface details.

At Topraktepe, both the dough texture and the decorative stamp patterns remain distinctly visible. Officials highlight that such preservation makes these examples extremely rare in the Anatolian archaeological record.

Excavations at the site are being conducted under the authorization of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, led by Ercan Er, Director of the Karaman Museum.

With its continuous layers from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages, Topraktepe/Eirenopolis provides a vital window into church–city organization and rural production–consumption practices in the region.