The history of our civilization is inextricably linked to the culture of production and consumption of milk, as well as the products of its processing.
Thousands of years ago, people tamed the ancestors of modern ungulates and learned to milk them. In ancient Russia milk was given great importance. This product was considered a source of strength, health, beauty and longevity. Up to now there have come many proverbs and sayings reflecting the respectful attitude of people to milk. So what animals were milked by our distant ancestors?
How did the cow get here
More than five thousand years ago, when the Scythian tribes living in Central Asia domestication of the first horses in Eastern Europe, there was the so-called Tripoli culture, to which scientists attribute the invention of dairy farming.
The ancient civilization, which originated in the Eneolithic Age, dates back to 5500-2700 BC. It received its name in the village of Tripolye, Kiev region, where there were found archaeological evidence of the existence of this culture. According to researchers, it was the Trypillars (the real name of the people lost in the centuries) who were the first to domesticate cattle and small ruminants.
Ancestors of domestic cows scientists consider tours, which were rich in forests and steppes of Eastern Europe. People began to keep these animals in pens, on powerful bulls carried luggage and ploughed fields. Smaller animals were fed hay and the rest of the milk was used as food. This is how modern cows appeared.
The first documentary evidence of dairy cattle breeding in Russia scientists found in birch-bark certificates dated IX century. And, judging by these historical records, at that time our distant ancestors have already mastered the production of butter, cheese, sour milk, etc.
The inhabitants of Ancient Russia considered milk a nutritious and useful product, they used it in the preparation of many dishes. For a long time the respectful attitude to the cow which was revered as the main breadwinner of a peasant family was kept. If we take into account that in pre-Christian times the fire from lightning was considered a divine fire and it was supposed to be extinguished not with water but with milk, we can imagine how much of this product was available to the villagers.
- camels;
- buffalo;
- donkeys;
- deer;
Goat's milk was the second most popular in ancient Russia, second only to cow's milk. Small ruminants are easier to keep than cattle. Goats are unpretentious and fertile. For this reason, they were widely spread in peasant farms.
Milk from these animals contains more polyunsaturated fatty acids, valuable proteins and vitamins A, C, PP and D than cow's milk. This product is more easily absorbed by the organism and does not cause any allergies.
The reason why goat's milk is less competitive than cow's milk is because of the specific smell and taste that comes from the sebaceous glands of small ruminants
Despite the fact that almost every farmer in Ancient Russia had a horse in the farm, and most often not one, the milk of mares was not particularly popular with our ancestors. If, for example, residents of Central and Central Asia, as well as the Tatars preferred this milk, the Russian peasants next to them rarely milked the mare and almost did not eat their meat.
Researchers see the reason for this attitude to horses in special respect, which these animals used in Russia. They were considered comrades-in-arms and ploughed with them. In addition, horses were also combat companions, the image of each epic hero is inseparable from his legendary horse. That's why they didn't want to give the stallion milk to the mare so that it could grow strong, because the welfare of the peasant family depended on his future efforts on the arable land. Yes, and why milk a mare when the cows give enough?
Sheep milk is healthier than cow milk and much more fatty. In ancient Russia, it was the third most used cow's milk. These animals were mainly bred in the south of the country, where the natural conditions are favorable for their maintenance. Cheese and fermented milk was used to make cheese and fermented milk drinks. Nowadays, these products are widely consumed by residents of Crimea, the Caucasus, Central and Central Asia.
Camels, buffaloes and female yaks were not bred by the inhabitants of Ancient Russia. But they could eat the milk products of these animals: cheese, cheese, cheese, ayran, jugurt, shubbat, etc. Cross-border trade with representatives of neighboring nations was already quite developed in those times.
Deer milk, which was widely used as food by the peoples of the North, is 4 times more fatty than cow's milk. It could only be drunk by those Russians who had moved to more frosty regions for various reasons. For example, hiding from the persecution of the authorities or hearing about profitable trades that can be done in the northern lands.
Purely theoretically inhabitants of Ancient Russia could milk donkeys also, in fact these animals are widespread in Europe and in Caucasus. But practically there is no historical evidence that our ancestors ate donkey milk. Probably, if it happened, then only in case of extreme need. For example, if all the cows in the area have fallen from the infectious disease, and there is nothing else to feed the children.