2,000-Year-Old 22-Pound Lump of Still-Edible Butter Found in Ireland
Jack Conway of Ireland's northern Cavan County unearthed a 22-pound ball of butter from a bog. Experts say it's been sitting there for 2,000 years and may still be edible.
Curator of the Cavan County Museum Savina Donohoe said, "A find like this is extremely significant in terms of our history and heritage. It does smell like butter and although I did not taste it there was a strong smell from my hands after touching and holding it."
2,000 years ago, dairy was a sign of wealth, so the butter may have been buried there as a religious offering or to preserve it. The cool temperatures of the bog, combined with the low oxygen levels and high acidity naturally preserve the butter.
Read more at The Irish Times.