Oldest noodles unearthed in China

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In summary, 4,000 year old spaghetti was found in China. It is unknown if the noodles are still edible. The discovery suggests that humans may have been eating spaghetti for a long time.
  • #1
Math Is Hard
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New evidence for early Flying Spaghetti Monster worship...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4335160.stm
The 50cm-long, yellow strands were found in a pot that had probably been buried during a catastrophic flood.
Radiocarbon dating of the material taken from the Lajia archaeological site on the Yellow River indicates the food was about 4,000 years old.
 
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  • #2
Spaghetti Monster

Noo! do you realize what you have done mentioning that name?
 
  • #3
Bladibla said:
Noo! do you realize what you have done mentioning that name?
uh oh...:uhh: :redface:
 
  • #4
Do you think that 2,000 years from now archaologists will think there was a significant cult that worshipped a flying spaghetti monster in the southern US?
 
  • #5
Smurf said:
Do you think that 2,000 years from now archaologists will think there was a significant cult that worshipped a flying spaghetti monster in the southern US?
We have a different deity in the part of the South that I hail from:
colonel_zoom.jpg
 
  • #6
lol

i sometimes wonder what exactly future generations (if there ARE any :bugeye: ) will say about US...
 
  • #7
Math Is Hard said:
New evidence for early Flying Spaghetti Monster worship...
Essentially, what we have here are mummified noodles. This raises the issue of a potential curse.
 
  • #8
The 50cm-long, yellow strands were found in a pot that had probably been buried during a catastrophic flood.
Radiocarbon dating of the material taken from the Lajia archaeological site on the Yellow River indicates the food was about 4,000 years old.

Are they still edible :confused:.
 
  • #9
Motai, I volunteer you to taste test the "noodle fossils".

I find it interesting as to what "leftovers" say about our species. For instance, last night in my biology class, we saw a film about how humans might have lived and begun to migrate 150,000 years ago. Their path of migration was traced through both mitochondrial DNA and the mounds of discarded seafood remains along coastal regions, suggesting that they traveled coastally out of Africa into other regions.

No doubt future generations will ponder the discarded red and white striped buckets and speculate about their significance in our feeding and religious rituals.
 
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  • #10
I think MIH is onto something.
The 50cm-long, yellow strands were found in a pot that had probably been buried during a catastrophic flood.
If I was caught in a catastrophic flood, I probably wouldn't take the time to bury my noodles. They must have been very special noodles.
 
  • #11
honestrosewater said:
I think MIH is onto something.
If I was caught in a catastrophic flood, I probably wouldn't take the time to bury my noodles. They must have been very special noodles.
:rofl: :biggrin:

I just had to look. A glance through Wikipedia reveals that what appeared to be "pasta-making utensils" were found in the ruins of Pompeii, but alas, no evidence of pasta-burying reported.
 
  • #12
I think we have some noodles in the pantry that rival this finding.
 
  • #13
That is all the proof I need. I am now a pastafarian: http://www.venganza.org/forum/images/smiles/worship.gif [Broken] http://www.venganza.org/forum/images/smiles/fsm7.gif [Broken]
 
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  • #14
Just imagine the peer pressure in the lab:

Steve- I just finished the carbon dating- these are... good grief, 4000 years old!
Al- Eat one.
Steve- Do you realize just how significant this...
Al- Eat one!
Steve- Quit messing around, this is serious!
Al- Just one... Aren't you curious?
Steve- More mortified than curious...
Al- You think you'll ever get a chance like this again?
Steve- Well...
Al- Won't you always wonder, and wish you had.
Steve- ...You have one too.
Al- Deal!
[munch]
Steve- Tastes like death
Al- Yeah... And sand.
Steve- Yeah...
Al- I'm going to go throw up.
Steve- Me too.
 
  • #15
Well.. it took them 4000 years.. and they finally mastered it :biggrin:
 

1. What are the oldest noodles found in China?

The oldest noodles found in China were discovered at the Lajia archaeological site in Qinghai province. They were estimated to be around 4,000 years old, dating back to the late Neolithic period.

2. How were the noodles preserved for so long?

The noodles were preserved due to the unique environmental conditions at the Lajia site. The noodles were submerged in water and buried under layers of silt, which prevented them from being exposed to oxygen and decaying.

3. What were the noodles made of?

The noodles were made from millet, a type of grain commonly used in China during that time period. The noodles were thin and flat, similar to modern-day Italian pasta, and were likely cooked by boiling.

4. What significance do these noodles hold?

The discovery of these noodles provides evidence that noodles have been a part of Chinese cuisine for thousands of years, and may have originated in the northwestern region of China. It also sheds light on the dietary habits and food preservation techniques of ancient Chinese civilizations.

5. How were the noodles analyzed and confirmed to be 4,000 years old?

Scientists used a combination of techniques, including radiocarbon dating and microscopy, to analyze the noodles and confirm their age. They also compared the noodles to other archaeological findings and historical records to determine their significance and age.

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