The world's oldest biscuit factory may have been discovered in southern France.

Scientists now believe an enormous Roman Barbegal factory was used to mass-produce snacks to feed second century sailors during long voyages at sea.

The enormous watermill featured a large complex of 16 wooden wheels fed by 38 miles (60km) of winding aqueducts.

As water cascaded down the wheels, it turned a gear system that crushed grains into flour, which was then shipped to nearby Roman ports.

Previously, researchers thought large-scale watermills – like Barbegal – were only used on an industrial scale several centuries later during medieval times.

The Roman mill, first discovered in 1937, is believed to be one of the world's oldest industrial complexes, producing enough flour to feed 12,500 individuals each year.