A new study finds that ancient Europeans were lactose intolerant 5,000 years after beginning agricultural practices and 4,000 years after farmers first started making cheese.

Published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, the study also found that major changes in the genetics of ancient Europeans closely coincided with big technological advancements that resulted in trasitions from the neolithic to the bronze to the iron ages, according to University College Dublin in Ireland.

An international team of scientists examined DNA extracted from 13 remains at various archaeological sites in what is known as the Great Hungarian Plain between 5,700 and 800 BC.

Archaeologists have found that the inner ear region of the petrous bone is the best for DNA analysis due to its hardness, which protects it from damage. It yields 183 times the DNA of other bones, according to the study. Because of the high DNA yields, scientists were able to analyze numerous skeletons from the same region and check for “genetic markers” — in this case, lactose intolerance.

The findings indicate that although skin pigmentation became lighter as time passed, there was no increased tolerance to lactose, which means that although ancient Europeans would have domesticated farm animals, they couldn’t drink their milk.

In addition, the study indicates that a “substantial influx of new people” led to an increase in prehistoric technology, including the adoption of farming, which means they didn’t come about as a result of gradual influence from other cultures.