A 2,000-year-old block of avocado buried under a swamp is still edible.

A group of mowing workers in a peat bog in Ireland discovered a 2,000-year-old lump of butter. Smelling like cheese, the lump of butter lay 4 meters below the surface of the bog, near the town of Drakerath, 80 km north of Dublin.

According to experts, the block of avocado is still in perfect condition. "The swamp has excellent preservation capabilities due to its low temperature, good oxygen levels, and acidic environment," a representative from the Ravan County Museum stated. It is likely that the avocado was buried in the swamp as a gift to the gods rather than for preservation purposes.

A 2,000-year-old block of butter was found under an Irish swamp. Photo: Sonja Smith.

Andy Halpin at the National Museum of Ireland, where experts are conducting dating and analysis of the butter block, said that dairy products of this type are never dug up after burial. The ritual burial hypothesis is further strengthened by the fact that the butter block was not wrapped.

"In ancient times, swamps were mysterious places that were very difficult to access. This swamp was located at the intersection of three separate kingdoms, and it was like a piece of land that didn't belong to humans," Halpin shared.

The discovery of the butter block is not the first of its kind. Scientists have previously collected hundreds of butter bundles from Irish bogs, some placed in wooden boxes, along with many intact wooden objects, swords, and ornaments.

Sphagnum moss, common in swamps, often grows over any object submerged in the swamp, enveloping it in a cool, anaerobic environment that prevents bacteria from thriving and inhibits decomposition.

According to Halpin, the newly discovered block of butter is theoretically still edible. "But our advice is not to taste it," Halpin said.

According to VNE