We can get an idea of whose ancestors drank milk based on whether or not a population has Lactase Persistence genes. This method has its drawbacks. Germans, for example, only developed lactase persistence around 850 years ago. (Bleasdale) Lactase persistence is also not descriptive of the most ancient instances of dairy culture. These peoples innovated agriculture and nutrition but did not have the benefit of inheriting the genetic adaptation. To explore the oldest milk drinkers we need something else.

Some studies rely on chemical analysis of pottery while others use something called dental calculus. Either way, the goal is to see how long ago animal milk entered the human diet. At the earliest stages, animal milk may have been a ritual and religious offering, but regular consumption would appear in the archaeological record.

In the Sahara (which used to have more rain that it does now), ancient Africans lived as shepherds of cows, sheep, and goats. A combination of evidence converges on the fact that Libyans were drinking cow’s milk at least 6,000 years ago! (Simoons) There are cattle bones, human teeth coated in milk proteins, and pots suitable for dairy processing. One cave drawing at Wadi Teshuinat even depicts milking practices.

Evershed claims an earlier antiquity for milk drinking in northwestern Anatolia. In his study, he analyzes pottery from across the Near East and finds compelling evidence to suggest that cattle-herding peoples in Anatolia drank milk as early as 7,000 BCE. Where cattle bones were more common, milk drinking was most likely. Importantly, the Fertile Crescent where herd animals were first domesticated was likely not the first location of dairying.

Whoever came up with the idea of drinking milk was a visionary. Consuming the milk of other mammals had wide-reaching impacts on human life, from our reproductive rhythm to our agricultural process. We could wean children from human breastmilk at will. We could obtain food without slaughtering our livestock. 

Milk provides clean liquid for drinking as over 80% of the white liquid is water. It nourishes with sugars, fats, and proteins as well as calcium, potassium, and vitamin B. Once we learn to cope with the pesky lactose, milk is a very substantial foodstuff. It is no wonder that societies quickly adapted strategies to cope with lactose intolerance in order to enjoy the nourishment our cows provided.