The Record-Breaking 2,400-Year-Old Soup Found Inside A Chinese Tomb

We're all familiar with the classic expression, "Soup's on!" Upon hearing it said, you might have a vivid sense of ringing dinner bells calling you to enjoy a home-cooked meal prepared by a loved one. It's a warning cry, meant to spur you into action so that your supper doesn't get cold. Human beings have been getting their 'soup on' for an unfathomably long time. 

Smithsonian Magazine, citing a study published in the scientific journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, tells us that newly discovered evidence reveals that humans as early as 780,000 years ago may have been cooking fish in earthen ovens. Although it obviously took longer for human culture to develop more complex dishes, it is an important example of the way that much of our modern food is based on the foundations of ancient societies. 

In fact, archaeologists have discovered evidence of more than a few culinary traditions that date back millennia. For example, in 2010, a team of archaeologists discovered that human beings likely got their literal 'soup on' for the first time around 2,400 years ago.

According to the BBC, the 2,400-year-old Chinese soup was unearthed when a tomb was excavated in 2010. The former burial ground is located near what was once the nation's capital city Xian, the same region where the famous terra cotta army was discovered in the '70s. Smithsonian Magazine explains that the terra cotta army is a collection of thousands of life-size soldiers and horses that were made to commemorate the massive army of China's original emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi.

Notably, finding food artifacts that date back thousands of years isn't exactly new territory for Chinese archaeologists. According to National Geographic, Chinese millet noodles that could date back a whopping 4,000 years were unearthed in 2005. However, the discovery is new in one sense. Archaeologist Liu Daiyun said of the find: "It's the first discovery of bone soup in Chinese archeological history. The discovery will play an important role in studying the eating habits and culture of the Warring States Period (475-221BC)."

It's always interesting to see what folks in ancient societies chowed down on. Dishes dating back to dynastic China can be simultaneously wildly different and surprisingly similar to cuisine enjoyed today. While it wasn't chicken noodle soup that was excavated from that ancient tomb, it was another familiar soup – bone broth, per China Daily. Though it's unclear exactly what bones went into the ancient broth, China Daily, quoting Liu Daiyun, goes on to tell us that there were cow ribs discovered alongside the soup.

Interestingly, the soup was discovered in a bronze cooking pot, which had a diameter of 24.5 centimeters and a height of 20 centimeters. One of the most glaring facets of the ancient meal's discovery is that the soup had become green, which archeologists explained is the result of oxidation of the container. Oxidation occurs when bronze comes into contact with the air, and though it looks peculiar, the green coating is harmless (via SFGate). 

Of course, it's still probably in your best interest to avoid ladling up a bowl of 2,400-year-old soup.