Crumb of ancient Egyptian bread found in Leeds museum archive

During a volunteer project at the Leeds Discovery Centre, a piece of breadcrumb was discovered among a batch of previously uncatalogued collections, having been buried with an ancient Egyptian mummy for thousands of years. Following its discovery, the tiny breadcrumb is being recorded into a national database, allowing experts and the public to view and access it.

Clare Brown, Natural Science Curator at Leeds Museums and Galleries, is overseeing the project and stated that the breadcrumb was discovered along with many other extraordinary items. She said, "Finding Egyptian bread is particularly surprising, and it's fascinating that we can connect Leeds' collections with bread baked thousands of years ago on another continent." This connection highlights the global reach of museum collections and their ability to tell compelling stories.

The breadcrumb is believed to be 3,000 years old, and records indicate that it was originally discovered in Thebes. In the 19th century, it was collected and preserved by an unknown Victorian microscopist and has since been stored as part of a collection of hundreds of previously uncatalogued slides.

The items are stored in small wooden trays and are currently being reviewed by volunteer Stephen Crabtree, who initially collaborated with the museum to study fossil plants. While cataloging the slides, he also discovered dust particles from the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa. It is believed that this dust fell on the deck of a ship called the "Arabella" while it was sailing 1,000 miles west of the Indonesian island.

Furthermore, among these slides are specimens of microscopic marine life discovered by the British Royal Navy ship "Challenger." The "Challenger" left Kent in 1872 on a mission to circumnavigate the globe and explore the deep sea for the first time. Upon returning three and a half years later, the crew had collected marine plants and animals, seabed sediments, and rocks, which changed the scientific community's understanding of the ocean. Examples found in the Leeds collection include a small, disc-shaped fossil called "orbitolites," collected near the coast of Fiji.

Ms. Brown added, "We don't know exactly how or where these slides were collected, but we do know that each slide was carefully preserved by a diligent microscopist for research over a century ago and for generations to come. This in itself is a testament to how important they thought these specimens were and how much they wanted future generations to see and be inspired by them." These discoveries underscore the enduring value of scientific curiosity and preservation.