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skins and using a few tools. It was not like a portable supply of steady food. As long as they Ancient baby
fourteen-day survival challenge where they had sunshine, water, grass or shrubbery and a bottles
could call for a medic and be rescued. Eating mammal, they had food.
and surviving were lifelong challenges. Those who consumed milk had a competi- provide
You can hear the crying of babies and chil- tive advantage over those who did not have a evidence
dren who were hungry. Those cries are universal steady source of readily available food. This that milk
and have not changed over the millennia. The steady supply of food allowed for settlements
natural instinct to provide for the next generation and communities to develop. People no longer from animals
was a compelling mandate that drove instinctual had to spend most of their time acquiring food was used to
and natural innovation. People observed animals and could instead use their brain power to drive
in the wild nursing their young just as they the development of sophisticated structures and feed human
nursed their own young. By capturing goats and towns. Domesticated animals became high- infants at
aurochs (ancestral cow breeds), people were able value assets. As civilization advanced, those least eight
to collect their milk in pottery vessels. who owned milking mammals became wealthy
These humans would have learned quickly and became the source of food for communities. thousand
that milk from other animals was a complete, years ago.
nutritious food. Even though humans had not MILK THROUGHOUT THE AGES Around the
yet developed something called the lactase- It is likely that milk was consumed in both
persistence gene, they likely could have readily fresh and fermented forms from the early days same time,
digested milk from other animals since raw milk when humans first began milking animals. An- clay vessels
facilitates the production of lactase enzyme in cient baby bottles provide evidence that milk for straining
the intestinal tract. Being purposely designed from animals was used to feed human infants
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to sustain life like no other food, this raw milk at least eight thousand years ago. Around the curds and
provided a steady source of readily available same time, clay vessels for straining curds and whey were
nutrition for ancient humans. whey were also in use. 9 also in use.
Without refrigeration, any milk that wasn’t Dairying practices spread along with civi-
consumed quickly would naturally ferment into lization throughout large areas of Asia and Eu-
cheese curd and whey. The milk storage vessels rope. Milk was a revered food in many civiliza-
likely contained bacteria cultures from previous tions. People used milk in religious ceremonies
milkings, and hence the culturing process was in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, Ireland,
naturally reinforced with these bacteria. The Scotland, Greece and Rome. Primary religious
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resultant curds could be stored and consumed source texts reveal that milk was an esteemed
over time. Curd contained a complete set of part of life. The Buddha was fed milk and rice
microbiome-friendly nutrients and would have to break his ascetic fast, and the Biblical “land
been easy to digest due to its biodiversity. The of milk and honey” was the promise of a bet-
humans could now bring along with them a ter life. Milk was central to the Vedic religion.

Stone carving at the ancient Sumerian temple of Ninhursag showing typical dairy activities. 6

FALL 2020 Wise Traditions 93