Archaeologists using advanced liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) on pottery fragments from the port city of Lothal have discovered the chemical signatures of yak-milk proteins. Published in Archaeological Chemistry Reports, the study identifies specific fermented caseins that could only have originated from high-altitude bovids. This provides the first direct evidence of a long-distance, temperature-controlled supply chain between the Himalayan highlands and the coastal Harappan urban centers.
The study, led by the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, suggests that Harappan merchants in the Gujarat region were importing specialized dairy products, likely preserved through advanced fermentation techniques similar to modern Chhurpi. This indicates a much more integrated and ecologically diverse trade network than previously understood, linking the sea-faring trade of Lothal with the pastoralist economies of the far north. The research also sheds light on the gastronomic diversity of the Indus Civilization, where exotic mountain products were valued by the urban elite.