Chemical Analysis of Pottery Demonstrates Prehistoric Origin for High-Altitude Alpine Dairying

Abstract

The European high Alps are internationally renowned for their dairy produce, which are of huge cultural and economic significance to the region. Although the recent history of alpine dairying has been well studied, virtually nothing is known regarding the origins of this practice. This is due to poor preservation of high altitude archaeological sites and the ephemeral nature of transhumance economic practices. Archaeologists have suggested that stone structures that appear around 3,000 years ago are associated with more intense seasonal occupation of the high Alps and perhaps the establishment of new economic strategies. Here, we report on organic residue analysis of small fragments of pottery sherds that are occasionally preserved both at these sites and earlier prehistoric rock-shelters. Based mainly on isotopic criteria, dairy lipids could only be identified on ceramics from the stone structures, which date to the Iron Age (ca. 3,000–2,500 BP), providing the earliest evidence of this practice in the high Alps. Dairy production in such a marginal environment implies a high degree of risk even by today’s standards. We postulate that this practice was driven by population increase and climate deterioration that put pressure on lowland agropastoral systems and the establishment of more extensive trade networks, leading to greater demand for highly nutritious and transportable dairy products.

A bioarchaeological approach to the Iron Age in Switzerland: stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of human remains

“…It could be evidence for consumption of dairy products and/or meat in these Alpine regions. This corresponds to the recently published study by Carrer et al (2016), even if their data are not directly comparable to this study. They identified dairy lipids on Iron Age ceramics from the high Alps, indicating the earliest evidence of dairy production in the Alps.…”

Early medieval Italian Alps: reconstructing diet and mobility in the valleys

“…Individuals were attributed to the following age groups: perinatal (38-40 weeks); newborn (0-2 months); infant 1st (3 months-6 years); infant 2nd (7-12 years); juvenile (13-19 years); adult (20-40 years); adult not determinable (n.d.; > 20 years); mature (40-59 years); and senile (> 60 years). The sex of adult individuals (> 20 years) was estimated based on sexual dimorphism of various skeletal elements as described by Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994);Ferembach et al (1979) and Murail et al (2005). In subadults (< 20 years), the sex was not determined due to the ambiguity of specific sexual traits (Baker et al 2005).…”

“…In Northern Italy, cheese was traditionally made with sheep or goats' milk (Flandrin and Montanari 2007). In the Alpine areas, cow milk was also used, as documented by the earlier evidences of dairy lipids in Iron Age vessels (Carrer et al 2016).…”

Steady transformation of primeval forest into subalpine pasture during the Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age (2300−1700 BC) in the Silvretta Alps, Switzerland

“…Lipid residues within ceramics (pottery) excavated in Alpine archaeological sites above 2000 m a.s.l. in the Silvretta Alps (Eastern Switzerland) revealed the start of dairy production to date back to at least the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age, c. 1300-500 BC (Carrer et al, 2016). Here, the oldest semi-permanent habitation structures attributed to pastoral activities were concomitantly also dated to these periods (Reitmaier, 2017).…”