Neolithic Dairy Processing Techniques Uncovered in Ceramics

New research reveals how Late Neolithic farmers made dairy products more digestible despite widespread lactose intolerance during the period. The team of scientists and archaeologists used a multi-stranded proteomic and lipid-analysis approach to investigate ceramics and deposits on their surface from the site of Sławęcinek in central Poland. By examining the proportion of curd proteins, they were able to directly detect the practice of cheesemaking and other curd-enriching dairy processing. Milk was processed from a variety of animals for this purpose, indicating diverse and varied dietary practices. These findings provide new insights into the diets and food production methods of early farmers.