The Talbot Green Lecture: Separating the Curds and Whey - Investigating the Role of Processed Milk Products in the Neolithic Diet

A public archaeology lecture on Neolithic dairy processing, featuring a live demonstration of cheese making with replica technology.

The Talbot Green Lecture in York examines Neolithic dairy consumption, where lipid residue analysis shows dairy was a staple despite early farmers being lactose intolerant. Professor Penny Bickle discusses how processing techniques like fermentation and cheesemaking reduced lactose, illustrated by a live experiment in Neolithic cheese making using replica technology. The lecture also considers the technical and social implications of eating dairy foods in the Neolithic.