Researchers use ancient milk fat to track history of dairy farm

WASHINGTON -- Dairy farming became widespread in Britain as early as the new stone age -- around 4,000 B.C. -- a team of researchers at England's University of Bristol reports.

Mark Copley, an archaeological chemist, said evidence of milk fats was found on broken pieces of pottery at several ancient sites in southern England.

Using new methods of analysis, scientists have learned to differentiate between ancient residue from milk fat and other fats and oils in recent years, Copley and his team report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Their findings provide evidence of "the earliest farming communities in Britain, though obviously there were earlier ones in the Near East," Copley said.

Animals were domesticated in the Near East about 8,000 B.C. Copley explained, and by the time farming practices reached England, dairying had become widely incorporated, using animals for both their meat and milk, Copley said.

He said the team hopes to trace the spread of dairying from the Near East through Europe and the Balkans.

While the chemical testing can detect milkfats, Copley said he didn't know exactly how the milk was being used.

However, he added, "when you consider how soon milk goes off, it's most likely they were making butter, cheese or yogurt ... which actually keep a long time."

By analyzing residue on pots and other artifacts from ancient communities, Copley said, archaeologists are "building up quite a big picture of how ancient economies actually worked."