Scientists pinpoint the age of cheese: 7,000 years old and counting

[Eugene]

Source: Science Recorder

Scientists pinpoint the age of cheese: 7,000 years old and counting

Science Recorder | Jessica Lear | Saturday, December 15, 2012

Scientists have reportedly discovered pottery fragments that suggest cheese-making is a much older process than previously thought.

The pottery pieces, which have small holes throughout, are thought to be more than 7,000 years old and may have been used to separate curds from whey, according to a newly published article.

According to the article in the journal Nature, the pottery fragments were discovered along a river in Poland and have been determined to be the oldest piece of evidence of cheese-making ever found. The pieces are expected to help researchers further understand the development of dairy in the ancient world, which had a big impact on human history and culture.

Peter Bogucki, an archaeologist at Princeton University, said the development of dairy, especially cheese, helped the people of Neolithic age get valuable nutrients. Most adults at the time could not eat large amounts of cheese due to lactose intolerance. However, being able to separate the curds from the why solved this problem as most of the lactose remained in the uneaten whey.

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Read more: http://www.sciencerecorder.com/news/scientists-pinpoint-the-age-of-cheese-7000-years-old-and-counting/

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I think there's some cheese in my fridge that's nearly that old.