Neolithic farmers made cheese from the milk of various animals | Science | News

Late Neolithic farmers in — specifically in what is today Poland — made cheese from the milk of various animals. This is the conclusion of a study which looked at the residues left behind on ceramic vessels unearthed from a dig site near Sławęcinek, 125 miles northwest of . The investigation was undertaken by Miranda Evans of the University of Cambridge and her colleagues.

The researchers used multi-strand proteomic and lipid analyses to study the pottery and the dairy residues preserved on their surfaces.

This approach allowed them to determine the proportion of curd proteins in the residue — and from this, infer what were involved.

Ms Evans said: “The proteomic results showed that the ancient residues closely resembled both the modern cheesemaking residues and cheese itself — and not whole milk.

“This reveals that the people of Sławęcinek practised cheesemaking, or another form of curd-enriching dairy processing.”

Paper co-author and Dr Harry Robson of the added: “These results contribute significantly to our understanding of the use of by some of the earliest farmers of .

“Previous research has shown that were widely available in some European regions during this period.

“Here, for the first time, we have clear evidence for a diversified dairy herd, including cattle, sheep and goats, from the analysis of ceramics.”

This is supported, the researchers noted, by the presence of both cows and what are thought to be either sheep or goat bones at the Sławęcinek site.

READ MORE: Evidence of Bronze Age brain surgery found in

In Neolithic Europe, the researchers explained, lactose intolerance was nearly ubiquitous — making milk something of an unpalatable choice of drink.

In fact, it wasn’t until the Late Bronze Age that a genetic mutation that allowed adults to produce lactase — the enzyme needed to break down…

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