When Did Humans Start to Eat Milk?

January 11, 2026 •

2 min read

Archaeological evidence from ancient pottery suggests that humans began consuming milk from domesticated animals as far back as the Neolithic period, approximately 9,000 years ago. This practice emerged as part of the agricultural revolution, fundamentally altering human diets and leading to a significant evolutionary adaptation: the ability for some adults to digest milk.

Quick Summary

The consumption of animal milk by humans began during the Neolithic period following animal domestication. Early farmers processed milk into products like cheese to reduce lactose content, as the genetic mutation for digesting fresh milk into adulthood, known as lactase persistence, evolved later in specific populations. This development represents a key example of gene-culture coevolution.

Key Points

Origin: Humans began consuming animal milk around 9,000 years ago during the Neolithic period, initially in Southwest Asia.
Early Processing: Early humans, who were largely lactose intolerant, processed milk into products like cheese and yogurt to reduce lactose content.
Lactase Persistence: The genetic ability to digest milk as an adult evolved much later and independently in different dairying populations.
Archaeological Evidence: Traces of milk fats have been found on ancient pottery fragments, providing solid evidence of early dairy consumption.
Evolutionary Advantage: The ability to consume milk provided a vital source of nutrition, especially in northern latitudes or during food scarcity, driving the rapid spread of lactase persistence.
Gene-Culture Coevolution: The practice of dairying created the environmental pressure that led to the genetic mutation for lactase persistence, illustrating a classic example of coevolution.

Early Evidence of Dairy Consumption

Humans began consuming milk from domesticated animals around 9,000 years ago, during the Neolithic Revolution. Archaeological discoveries of milk fats on ancient ceramic vessels in modern-day Turkey provide some of the earliest evidence for this practice, indicating the exploitation of domesticated cattle, sheep, and goats for milk.

Initially, most early humans were lactose intolerant after infancy. To utilize milk as a food source without discomfort, they developed methods to process it into products like cheese and yogurt, which significantly reduced the lactose content. This processing allowed them to benefit from the nutritional value of milk.

The Role of Animal Domestication

The domestication of animals, initially for meat and labor, made dairy consumption possible. Utilizing animals for milk provided a renewable and vital source of calories, protein, and fat, particularly important during food shortages. This practice originated in Southwest Asia and spread to Europe, Africa, and other regions, often linked to the migration of pastoral groups and the exchange of farming techniques.

Milk Consumption Across the Globe

7th Millennium BC: Dairying evidence in Southwest Asia.
7th-6th Millennium BC: Spread to Europe and South Asia.
5th Millennium BC: Evident in parts of Africa.
4th Millennium BC: Reached Britain and Northern Europe; camels domesticated in central Arabia for milk.

The Evolution of Lactase Persistence

The ability for adults to digest lactose (lactase persistence) is a genetic mutation that developed later than the initial practice of dairying. While most mammals lose the ability to produce the lactase enzyme after weaning, the continued consumption of milk created strong selective pressure for this trait in human populations.

Lactase persistence evolved independently in several dairying populations, including those in Northern Europe and East Africa. Its rapid spread, especially in Northern Europe, highlights the survival advantage it offered, allowing consumption of fresh milk and providing crucial nutrition, particularly in challenging environments.

The Rise of Lactase Persistence (LP) vs. Initial Dairying


Feature	Early Neolithic Dairying	Evolved Lactase Persistence (LP)
Time Period	C. 9,000 to 7,000 years ago	Varied geographically, significantly later
Lactose Digestion	Majority of adults were lactose intolerant	Some adults can digest fresh milk
Consumption Method	Milk processed into low-lactose products (cheese, yogurt)	Ability to drink fresh, unfermented milk
Genetic Profile	Population largely lacked the LP mutation	Specific populations developed LP mutations
Location	Initially Southwest Asia	Arose independently in regions like Northern Europe and East Africa

Conclusion

The start of human milk consumption dates back to the Neolithic period, about 9,000 years ago, following animal domestication. This cultural shift led to dairying, initially involving processing milk into low-lactose products. The subsequent, independent evolution of lactase persistence in various populations demonstrates a remarkable instance of gene-culture coevolution, providing a significant nutritional advantage and permanently changing human diets and genetics. For more information on the genetic aspect, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides in-depth research.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, the practice of dairying spread from its origins in Southwest Asia to different parts of the world over thousands of years. Many populations, particularly in East Asia and the Americas, did not historically consume milk and have a low prevalence of lactase persistence.

Lactase persistence is the genetic trait that allows some adults to continue producing the lactase enzyme, which breaks down lactose, the sugar in milk. This contrasts with the ancestral human condition of lactase non-persistence, where production of the enzyme decreases after infancy.

Before lactase persistence became common, early humans processed milk into fermented products like cheese and yogurt. The fermentation process breaks down much of the lactose, making the dairy product more digestible.

The earliest evidence points to the use of cattle, sheep, and goats for milk, with domestication of these species occurring in Southwest Asia.

In regions with cold climates or food shortages, milk offered a reliable, nutrient-rich food source. This provided a strong evolutionary advantage, causing the lactase persistence mutation to spread rapidly through populations that practiced dairying.

The ability to consume milk and dairy products provided a nutritional advantage in early human societies, offering a source of calories, protein, and essential nutrients like calcium. This advantage was particularly pronounced during periods of food scarcity.

Archaeologists and scientists use techniques like lipid residue analysis on ancient pottery and the examination of ancient dental calculus (plaque) to find evidence of milk consumption.