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Did Neolithic Dairy Farmers Try To Butter Up The Gods?
Summary
Evidence of Neolithic dairy farming in Wales dating back over 5,000 years has been discovered. This was a time when people transitioned from hunting to farming and new monuments, like Stonehenge, were built. Researchers believe that dairy products like butter and yoghurt were offered to the gods of the fields as offerings. Dairy farming is believed to have developed in eastern Europe and Africa in the 6th and 5th millennia BC, respectively, and in Britain in the 4th millennium BC. Evidence of dairy farming in Britain was discovered at an ancient burial monument in West Wales, dating back to 3,100 BC. This suggests that Neolithic farmers enjoyed dairy products like butter, cheese, or more likely, yoghurt. Researchers believe that dairy was used in ancient death rites and was offered to the gods. The monument was also a backdrop for rites and rituals and certain stones were believed to represent star constellations. This transition from hunting to farming likely prompted people to offer dairy products to the gods of the Sun, Moon, and Earth.
Q&As
What is the earliest evidence of dairy farming in Britain?
The earliest evidence of dairy farming in Britain has been discovered at an ancient burial monument.
What Neolithic monument did researchers find dairy farming evidence at?
The Trellyffaint Neolithic monument near Newport, Pembrokeshire, in West Wales.
What were the findings of the four-year archaeological project in Wales?
The findings of the four-year archaeological project in Wales placed the origins of dairy farming at 3,100 BC.
How were dairy products used in ancient death rites?
Dairy products were believed to be offered to the gods in ancient death rites.
What did the transition from hunting to farming represent in terms of cosmogony?
The transition from hunting to farming represented a change in cosmogony, as natural spirits were perceived as residing in resource rich parts of the land and coastline and fused together into new gods.
AI Comments
👍 This article provides an interesting insight into how the Neolithic people transitioned from hunting to farming and how dairy products were believed to be conduits to the gods of the fields.
👎 This article does not provide any evidence for the claim that dairy products were being offered to the gods.
AI Discussion
Me: It's discussing evidence of Neolithic dairy farming in Wales that dates back over 5,000 years. The article suggests that dairy products like butter and yoghurt were used in death rites and rituals, and were offered to the gods of the fields.
Friend: Wow, that's really interesting. I guess this suggests that dairy farming was important to ancient cultures?
Me: Yes, it certainly does. It was a major transition from a hunting and gathering lifestyle to a more agricultural lifestyle, and it had implications for their worldview. The article suggests that the introduction of dairy farming was associated with the veneration of Earth, Sun, and Moon gods, and the belief that these gods had the power to determine the success of agriculture.
Action items
- Research the history of dairy farming in other parts of the world to gain a better understanding of the global impact of this practice.
- Visit a local dairy farm to learn more about the production of dairy products and the importance of the industry.
- Learn more about the ritual landscape of Neolithic Wales and the role of dairy products in ancient death rites.
Technical terms
- Neolithic
- A period of prehistory in the Old World from about 10,000 to 3,000 BC, characterized by the development of agriculture and the use of stone tools.
- Dairy farming
- The practice of raising and caring for dairy animals, such as cows, goats, and sheep, for the purpose of producing milk and other dairy products.
- Henges
- Circular earthen dishes built during the Neolithic period.
- Pottery
- A type of ceramic material made from clay and fired in a kiln.
- Yoghurt
- A fermented dairy product made from milk and bacteria.
- Cheese
- A food made from the pressed curds of milk.
- Animal husbandry
- The practice of raising and caring for animals, such as cows, goats, and sheep, for the purpose of producing food and other products.
- Cusp
- A point or period of transition or change.
- Cosmogony
- A theory or story of the origin and development of the universe.
- Agricultural lifestyle
- A way of life based on the production of food through farming.
- Deities
- A god or goddess in a particular religion or mythology.
- Nectar
- A sweet liquid secreted by flowers, often used in mythology as a drink of the gods.