Reproduction of the Baking Process in Scythian Era Oven

Abstract

The article describes an experimental reconstruction of the full cycle of bread production in the Scythian period. The illustrative experiment took place during a field trip of the Student Archaeological Society to Krylos. The purpose of the experiment was to make authentic loaves resembling clay miniatures of votive models representing “bread” from the Scythian period.
The experimental process had three stages, which consisted of building a clay oven, firing it, and baking the loaves. According to archaeological sources, an authentic oven with a horseshoe-shaped base and two holes for firewood and for smoke removal was built using a mixture of clay, water, straw and branches for the frame. A stone grain grinder, the elements of which were found in the territory of the experiment, was created in order to be used during the process.
The process of grinding flour was carried out using found tools, taking 110 minutes to grind 500 grams of grain. A sourdough starter for bread was recreated: flour had been mixed with water for fermentation, which lasted about two days. Dough was kneaded using the extracted flour. The processes were detailed, adjustments were made to the understanding of flour processing. The loaves were shaped in the likeness of votive models at different stages of oven heating.
The experiment showed that creating finished bread requires not only making the sourdough starter but also spending about two hours creating flour and building an oven. These estimates apply assuming two individuals are working and there are necessary materials in the vicinity.
Thus, the study documented the amount of time spent on all stages of the experiment and estimated the manpower required for effective production, as well as the required amount of material resources needed at each stage of production.
During the experiment, we obtained loaves that were comparable in taste to modern craft bread. Visually, the votive models were almost identical to the real loaves obtained during the experiment. Judging by the scientific literature and theoretical research on the form and taste of these flour products, we can conclude that the experiment confirmed the relevance of earlier hypotheses, while allowing for certain refinements made to the details of the process.