By By Karen Graham Jan 17, 2015 in Science Dairy farmers across Europe are anxiously awaiting the phase out and eventual end of E.U. milk quotas in April of this year. With milk being a valuable and traditional commodity today, researchers looked back at dairying in Ireland 6,000 years ago. Using molecular and stable carbon isotope analysis, the team of scientists examined 450 pottery vessels from a number of Figure 1 The current distribution of Irish Early Neolithic houses (open circles), and the location of Early Neolithic sites sampled for this investigation (causewayed enclosures – squares; house sites – circles). Smyth et al Ireland lies at the end of a long shift in the spread of Dr Smyth said: "We know from previous research that dairying was an important part of many early farming economies, but what was a big surprise was the prevalence of dairy residues in Irish pots. It looks to have been a very important food source." They team found that 90 percent of the residue in the pots consisted of milk fats, while 10 percent was a mixture of milk fats and meat, like mutton or beef. Smyth noted that there were other ways to cook meat besides boiling, but there was also evidence of the use of cereal The fact that dairy animals, sheep and goats had to be physically shipped into the country, gives the study more significance because these animals were not native to Ireland. "These are a very determined group of pioneer farmers. They are setting up everything from scratch and taking a significant gamble with their livelihoods and those of their dependants," Dr Smyth added. Dr Jessica Smyth of the University of Bristol's School of Chemistry, taking into account the Emerald Isle's fame for its dairy exports, led a study that reveals the very long history of dairying on the isle. The study, published in the Journal of Environmental Archaeology shows that dairying in Ireland dates back 6,000 years.Using molecular and stable carbon isotope analysis, the team of scientists examined 450 pottery vessels from a number of Irish Neolithic sites . By examining the trace amounts of dairy fats on the pottery, they were able to establish that early inhabitants used farming practices, including the keeping of cattle as early as 4,000 to 2,500 BC.Ireland lies at the end of a long shift in the spread of agricultural practices in Europe. Current studies suggest that agriculture began in the south-east of England ca. 41st century BC. and spread westward to southern Britain before eventually spreading west and on up into Ireland, the Isle of Man and Scotland by the 39th century BC. All this has been well documented with carbon dating of timbers, as well as the documentation of megalithic monuments, tombs and the remains of stone walls.Dr Smyth said: "We know from previous research that dairying was an important part of many early farming economies, but what was a big surprise was the prevalence of dairy residues in Irish pots. It looks to have been a very important food source." They team found that 90 percent of the residue in the pots consisted of milk fats, while 10 percent was a mixture of milk fats and meat, like mutton or beef.Smyth noted that there were other ways to cook meat besides boiling, but there was also evidence of the use of cereal grain processing during that time. But Smyth says the most striking thing is the "dairy signal, particularly when compared to data sets from continental Europe during the same period."The fact that dairy animals, sheep and goats had to be physically shipped into the country, gives the study more significance because these animals were not native to Ireland. "These are a very determined group of pioneer farmers. They are setting up everything from scratch and taking a significant gamble with their livelihoods and those of their dependants," Dr Smyth added. More about Ireland, dairying, early farming economies, neolithic period, pottery analysis More news from Ireland dairying early farming econom... neolithic period pottery analysis milk fats