Paleobiologists conducted a study to determine when ancient inhabitants of modern Armenia started consuming milk or dairy products. To conduct the analysis, dental calculus from over 70 individuals whose remains were found in 22 different archaeological sites was examined. These sites cover the time period from the Late Neolithic to the Middle Ages.
Thanks to proteomic analysis, the earliest evidence of consuming cow's or sheep's milk was discovered on the teeth of people who lived during the Middle Bronze Age. This period is dated between 2500 and 1550 BCE. The research results were presented in a scientific article published in the journal iScience.