Trellyffaint: Proof unearthed of Neolithic dairy farming in Pembrokeshire

BBC ^ | Neil Prior

[SunkenCiv]

Dairy farming could have been happening in Wales as early as 3,100BC, according to new research.

Shards of decorated pottery taken from the Trellyffaint Neolithic monument near Newport, Pembrokeshire, were found to contain dairy fat residue.

The residue could only originate from milk-based substances such as butter, cheese, or more probably yoghurt.

George Nash, of the Welsh Rock Art Organisation, said it was the earliest proof of dairy farming in Wales.

Project leader Dr Nash said Julie Dunne of the University of Bristol had detected the dairy fat residues from the inner surfaces of the pottery, as well as dating them with 94.5% accuracy to 3,100BC.

"It's incredibly rare to find any archaeological remains such as bone and pottery in this part of Wales because of the soil's acidity," he said...

Dr Nash, who teaches at the University of Coimbra in Portugal, termed the period a "Neolithic package" that included animal husbandry, pottery making, food procurement and different ways of burying and venerating the dead.

It gradually replaced the hunting, fishing and gathering way of life which had typified the previous era...

Interest in Trellyffaint began when former University of Bristol archaeology graduates Les Dodds and Phil Dell conducted several geophysical surveys on and around the Neolithic stone chambers.

They discovered two concentric henges along with other buried objects.

The henges - two circular earthen banks - are roughly contemporary with Stonehenge, dating from the mid to latter part of the Neolithic period, between 3,000BC and 2,000BC.

[SunkenCiv]

Dairy fat residue was discovered on pottery at the site [George Nash]

[SunkenCiv]

[Sacajaweau]

Why would that surprise anyone?

[Governor Dinwiddie]

People who are genetically from the British Isles have the least lactose intolerance of any group. Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales — folks from these backgrounds have genetics which tolerate dairy very well. In general European stock as a whole tolerate lactose in their diets.

[SunkenCiv]

Why wouldn’t it?

[SauronOfMordor]

Domesticating cows, goats, and sheep allowed early humans to have something that would turn grass into nutritious milk. Initially, infants would have been fed milk, reducing infant mortality. Those who could tolerate cow’s milk into adulthood would survive better.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

That's an excellent point that didn't occur to me. Why of course! Humans can't really eat grass, but when you have a machine which turns grass into real food, then you've really got something there. Hail to the ruminants!

[dblshot]

Certainly hobbits had goats and such in the “shire.”