If you thought the cheese in your fridge is getting a bit tired, it's nothing compared to what was discovered in north-western China. Pieces of the world's oldest cheese were found alongside Bronze Age mummies in the Tarim Basin that are 3600 years old.

The discovery was made two decades ago, when archaeologists found mysterious white substances smeared on the heads and necks of several mummies.

While they suspected these substances might be fermented dairy products, without the DNA analysis we use today, they couldn't be sure.

Chinese scientists who analysed the cheese found that it contained DNA from cows and goats.

It showed that the ancient Xiaohe people used different types of animal milk in different batches. That differs from most Middle Eastern and Greek cheesemaking, which mix

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