Archaeologists Discover Ancient Dumplings In China

Dumplings are a simple and extremely satisfying snack, and it looks like people have been enjoying them for a very, very long time, because archaeologists in China recently discovered some surprisingly well-preserved dumplings in an ancient tomb, and it looks like the dumplings of 1,700 years ago look a lot like the ones people eat today.

According to Shanghaiist, the ancient dumplings were discovered by archaeologists excavating tombs in China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region.

Dry conditions help preserve things, and the desert conditions around the area were dry enough that the dumplings never got moldy or dissolved. They just dried out into hard, dessicated little rock-like objects that are now perfectly preserved for scientists to study.

Scientists say there are actually multiple generations of dumplings discovered. The three oldest date back to the Six Dynasties period (220-589) and are an estimated 1,700 years old. Two other dumplings discovered in the area date to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and the archaeologists say the dumplings are crescent-shaped bundles stuffed with meat and encased in a wrapper made of wheat flour dough, which look very similar to what a person would find in China today.