The world’s oldest cheese has been discovered in Xinjiang, China. A mix of cow and goat cheese, the sample dates back 3,600 years to the Bronze Age, predating a 3,200-year-old sample buried alongside an ancient Egyptian mayor.

The cheese was dug up with mummified human remains offers insights into the origins of the dairy product known as kefir.
Decades ago, researchers noticed a white substance scattered on the necks of three mummies in a Xiaohe cemetery in western China. Now, after isolating various DNA samples, paleogeneticists confirmed the substance includes goat and cow DNA as well as bacterial and fungal species used in modern-day kefir grains. Like kefir, the cheese was likely soft and tangy at the time, and its burial could suggest how valuable it was. The bacterial strains also tell us more about the history of kefir, suggesting it originated not only in Russia but in Tibet.

When archaeologists unearthed the young woman in 2003, they found her naturally mummified body, still clothed in a felt hat, tasseled wool coat, and fur-lined leather boots. But the most intriguing discovery lay around her neck—chunks of what scientists have now identified as the world’s oldest known cheese.
Qiaomei Fu, a paleogeneticist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, led a research team that conducted a genetic analysis of the ancient cheese found in the Tarim Basin. The results of this study, published in the journal Cell, reveal not only the age of the cheese but also how it was made, offering fresh insight into ancient dairy production and the cultural significance of cheese in this region.
Cheese has been part of human history for millennia. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of fatty residues, likely from cheese, on pottery dating back 7,000 years, and Sumerian texts from 4,000 years ago mention cheese as well. However, the cheese found in the Tarim Basin is unique—it represents the oldest substance that scientists can definitively label as cheese, thanks to the remarkably preserved samples in the graves.
Dr. Fu and her team took samples from the cheese scattered around the necks of three mummies from the basin. Using genetic analysis techniques, they isolated and studied fragments of DNA in the ancient dairy product. They discovered traces of DNA from both cows and goats, indicating that the milk of these animals was used to make the cheese. Additionally, they identified microbes—bacteria and yeast—responsible for the fermentation process that turned milk into cheese.
These microbes played a crucial role in producing kefir grains, a combination of bacteria and yeast that causes milk to ferment into a yogurt-like product. Kefir grains are still used today to make kefir milk and kefir cheese, which are known for their tangy, sour flavors. According to Dr. Fu, discovering these microbial species in the ancient cheese is “really, really exciting,” as it sheds light on the cheese-making methods of ancient peoples and provides clues about their way of life.
The presence of cheese in burial sites like this suggests that it was highly valued by the people of the Tarim Basin. The fact that the cheese was made from the milk of different animals and fermented with specific microbes hints at interactions between various cultures in the region, such as the Xiaohe people and others from the Eurasian steppe. For Dr. Fu, the study of this cheese is not only a glimpse into ancient dietary habits but also a new way of understanding how human cultures evolved, interacted, and shared knowledge, particularly in the absence of written records.
Paul Kindstedt, a cheese historian and professor emeritus at the University of Vermont, who was not involved in the study, commented on the importance of such findings. He explained that cheese-making practices are a valuable tool for tracing the movements and relationships of ancient peoples, even in times when written language did not exist. The discovery of cheese in the Tarim Basin mummies’ graves is a significant contribution to this area of study.
As for the ancient cheese itself, while it has yet to be tasted, the research team speculates that it was likely soft and tangy, similar to modern kefir cheese. Dr. Fu noted that no one has dared to taste the 3,600-year-old cheese found in the tombs, primarily because its appearance is not particularly appetizing. However, the team is enthusiastic about the idea of recreating the cheese based on the data they’ve gathered. Dr. Fu expressed her excitement about this prospect, saying, “I think next step, we should make it.
”This study not only uncovers the world’s oldest cheese but also provides a window into ancient cheese-making techniques and their cultural significance. By analyzing the DNA of the milk and microbes involved in the process, researchers are able to piece together the story of how cheese was made, valued, and shared among ancient civilizations, offering fresh insight into humanity’s long-standing relationship with this dairy product.
Learn more about the Xiaohe people, a group tied to survivors of the last ice age, here.