The archaeological discovery of mummified bread

During the excavation of the Garimpo Prateado archaeological site, carried out by the team from the Laboratory of Archaeology and Paleontology (LAP), mummified loaves of bread dating back approximately 80 years were found. The archaeological site, located in the Serra de São Francisco, in Senhor do Bonfim, Bahia, is a poorly documented area situated in a rural and semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil during World War II.

Quartz crystal mining during the war

The Prateado mine was responsible for mining quartz crystal, a strategic mineral for communication technology. During the war, all production was sold to the United States, as Brazil exported strategic minerals to the Allied countries in the world conflict.

The discovery of the loaves of bread during the excavation.

During archaeological studies, the Uneb team found an area that was used as a mining camp, containing remains of bottles and household items. In addition, a bakery from the mining camp, now in ruins, revealed mummified loaves of bread preserved amidst sediment mixed with ashes from the old oven.

The rarity of the archaeological find

According to researcher Cristiana Santana, the mummified loaves of bread are a very rare find in archaeology. These loaves were discarded in the ashes of the bakery oven, resulting in their desiccation and subsequent natural mummification. The excavated loaves resemble the breads still sold in the region, known as "basket bread" or "foot-kneaded bread," but are smaller due to dehydration and loss of volume.

The historical context of the Silver Gold Mine

Gilmar Silva, a master's student in the Postgraduate Program in Human Ecology and Socio-environmental Management (PPGEcoH) at UNEB, reports that the mining site was inhabited by miners living in precarious conditions, without even basic sanitation. An outbreak of meningitis affected a large number of workers, leading to the closure of the mining operation. Currently, the archaeological artifacts, including the mummified loaves of bread, are the last remaining evidence of this history that took place in the semi-arid backlands of Bahia.