Professor Sarah McClure Department of Anthropology, UCSB

Agriculture and sheep pastoralism have been mainstays of Mediterranean landscapes for thousands of years of cultural, environmental, and climatic change. Evidence for sheep pastoralism and dairying seem to have been key elements in the success of early farming communities despite the prevalence of lactose intolerance among Neolithic farmers. Why were farmers milking livestock if they were unable to digest milk?

This presentation focuses on the beginnings of farming in the Dalmatian coast of Croatia and highlights new research at the 7000-year-old farming village Krivace. Along with other sites in the region, Krivace provides insight into the role of dairying in ancient farming practices and its fundamental impacts on landscapes and human societies.

Presented by The Friends of the Goleta Valley Library Lecture Series