People in modern Kenya and Sudan are among the earliest known milk drinkers, ingesting dairy products at least 6,000 years ago.
While pinpointing the very first individual to taste milk is impossible, archaeological evidence suggests that communities in East Africa, specifically in what is now Kenya and Sudan, were consuming milk products roughly 6,000 years ago. This is particularly interesting because it predates the widespread development of lactase persistence – the "milk gene" – which allows adults to easily digest lactose, the sugar found in milk. This indicates that early humans were consuming milk even before they were fully adapted to digest it efficiently.
Here's a breakdown:
- Timeframe: At least 6,000 years ago
- Location: Modern Kenya and Sudan
- Significance: Demonstrates early dairy consumption before the widespread prevalence of lactase persistence.
Therefore, while we cannot identify a specific individual, the evidence strongly points to populations in East Africa as some of the earliest known milk drinkers.
