ARCHAEOLOGISTS FIND ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CHEESE

Archaeologists at the tomb of Ptahmes – mayor of Memphis, Egypt, during the 13th century BC – have uncovered what they believe could be the world’s oldest cheese. The explorers unearthed a jar containing a solid, whitish mass from the tomb, which was most recently dug up for exploration in 2010. When researchers tested the whitish substance, they found a combination of peptides that indicate a dairy product made of cow milk and either sheep or goat milk. The sample also showed Brucella melitensis, a bacterium that leads to the potentially deadly disease brucellosis, typically transmitted via unpasteurized dairy products. No word yet on whether it was the cheese that did ol’ Ptahmes in.
* It wasn’t the cheese, exactly. Archaeologists believe he might have eaten at Chipotle.
* Killed by cheese? That takes lactose intolerant to a whole new level.
* Cheese from the 13th century BC? No whey!
* The world’s oldest cheese. No crackers?
* They also found an inscription: “He who cuts the cheese in the tomb of Ptahmes shall suffer the curse of eternal scarab gas.”
* If you’re looking for the world’s oldest cheese, check the dairy drawer in my refrigerator.