Animal milk use started between ca. 9000 and 6500 BCE at the onset of the Neolithic in Southwest Asia, and it subsequently accompanied the spread of farming into Europe from 6800/6700 BCE onward. Against the background of lambing seasons, climate, and technology, it is likely that prehistoric adults consumed not fresh milk but variants of lactose-reduced fermented milks and cheeses. While this is well in line with genetic lactose intolerance prevailing in the Neolithic, the strong selective force behind the regional emergence of genetic lactase persistence in later prehistory is still unknown. In a synopsis of the currently available archaeological data as well as knowledge of recent traditional dairying and microbiology, in this paper we trace the role of fermented dairy products in the prehistory of Southwest Asia and Europe, address possible spillover effects with other fermented products such as bread, beer, and wine, and outline working hypotheses for future research. Particular attention is drawn to the distinction between meso- and thermophilic fermentation as a possible clue as to the reasons for the strong selective advantage of lactase persistence.

中文翻译：

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发酵乳

动物奶的使用开始于约。公元前 9000 年和公元前 6500 年西南亚新石器时代开始，随后从公元前 6800/6700 年起伴随着农业向欧洲的传播。在产羔季节、气候和技术的背景下，史前成年人很可能食用的不是新鲜牛奶，而是低乳糖发酵乳和奶酪的变种。虽然这与新石器时代普遍存在的遗传性乳糖不耐症非常吻合，但在史前后期遗传性乳糖酶持续存在的区域性出现背后的强大选择力仍然未知。在对当前可用考古数据以及近期传统乳制品和微生物学知识的概要中，我们在本文中追溯了发酵乳制品在西南亚和欧洲史前史中的作用，解决其他发酵产品（如面包、啤酒和葡萄酒）可能产生的溢出效应，并概述未来研究的工作假设。特别注意中温发酵和高温发酵之间的区别，作为乳糖酶持久性强大选择优势的原因的可能线索。