Digesting milk

[Duncan Head]

The genes that code for the ability to digest milk were still rare in Europe at the end of the Bronze Age - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33057927

This is one of the conclusions of an article on population genomics in Nature.

[Jim Webster]

Interesting how it changed

Jim

[Patrick Waterson]

And when, and how: the Pylos tablets indicate a thriving culture of herding (among other elements of mixed farming) in the 'Bronze Age' Peloponnese.

Specifically,

"... the tablets reveal very large numbers of sheep and goats and pigs (in that order);  but few cattle and even fewer horses. Some appear to have been lists of rations, given out to groups rather than to individuals, while others were requisitions, produce to be given to the authorities. There are also  lists of farm produce,— grain, olives and figs, while the tablets from Mycenae also produced several quite detailed spice lists."

Does the apparent paucity of cattle indicate a lack of milk consumption?  Or were 'neats' (the smaller quadrupeds) easier to raise and more productive for the amount and type of land available?

For what it is worth, the Iliad suggests that drink was exclusively water and/or wine, even for children.

[Jim Webster]

Paucity of cattle is probably a result of poor grazing, far more suited to goats and sheep (and still is)

Even if people were lactose intolerant the milk can be made into cheese, the harder the better because the less lactose it contains

Jim