Researchers at the Eurac Research Institute in Bolzano, Italy, isolated yeast from the gut of a 5,300-year-old mummy to bake sourdough bread.

The experiment demonstrates that ancient microorganisms can remain viable for modern food production and provides a rare biological link to prehistoric diets. By reviving these dormant cultures, scientists can analyze how gut flora has evolved over millennia.

The mummy, known as Ötzi the Iceman, was discovered in 1991 [3] in the Ötztal Alps on the border of Austria and Italy [1, 2]. The research team, including Mohamed Sarhan, spent months of work [4] to isolate the yeast from the remains of the man who died approximately 5,300 years ago [1, 2].

Once the yeast was successfully cultured in the laboratory, the team used it as a starter for a sourdough loaf. A lead researcher from the Eurac Institute said the sourdough they baked turned out to be very, very good, comparable to modern artisanal loaves [2].

Mohamed Sarhan said the mummy is, in a very real sense, a living biological interface, a meeting point between the ancient world and the present [1]. The project aimed to assess whether these prehistoric microorganisms could still function in a contemporary culinary environment.

Following the success of the bread, the team is exploring further applications for the ancient yeast. A research team spokesperson said their next step is to see if they can use the same yeast to brew beer [3].

“The sourdough we baked turned out to be very, very good, comparable to modern artisanal loaves.”

This successful cultivation of prehistoric yeast proves that certain biological agents can survive in extreme stasis for thousands of years. Beyond the culinary novelty, the ability to revive and utilize ancient gut flora allows scientists to experimentally test the nutritional and fermentation capabilities of prehistoric organisms, potentially reshaping the understanding of early human microbiology.