Humans' ability to gain sustenance from milk and establish the early foundations of the dairy industry were advanced by the use of milk in the early Neolithic era.
The international research, led by the University of Bristol, used a new method to date dairy fat from the 54th century BC. This method can be used to identify the introduction of new foods in prehistoric times.
It is amazing to be able to accurately date the beginning of milk exploitation by humans in prehistoric times according to the lead author. Milk and milk products were introduced to the prehistoric human diet in order to transform it into a modern one.
The earliest Neolithic farming groups in Central Europe were from the South East, East, and West of Europe. Some of the first settlers in the region used milk at scale.
The work was done by Professor Richard Evershed of the University of Bristol. More than 4,300 pottery vessels were analyzed by his team. Milk use was not universally adopted by these early farmers and the results showed considerable variation in milk use across the region.
The researchers produced about 30 new radiocarbon dates to show how LBK farmers exploited dairy. The earliest LBK settlements took place in the middle of the 6th millennium BC.
The research provides new insights into the timing of major changes in human food procurement practices as they evolved across Europe. The evidence shows that dairy foods were in widespread circulation.
The Dob Istvn Castle Museum and the LVR-State Service for Archaeological Heritage were involved in the study.
More information: Emmanuelle Casanova et al, Dating the emergence of dairying by the first farmers of Central Europe using 14 C analysis of fatty acids preserved in pottery vessels, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109325118 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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