A new isotopic study released this month strengthened the argument that prehistoric builders of Stonehenge relied on cattle to haul bluestones from southwest Wales to Salisbury Plain, reported the Art Newspaper.
Researchers from the British Geological Survey (BGS), Cardiff University, and University College London analyzed a slice of a single cow’s third molar unearthed in 1924 at Stonehenge’s south entrance. Radiocarbon dating placed the animal between 2995 and 2900 BCE—exactly when the first stone circle was being erected.
Strontium, lead, and carbon isotope readings traced the animal’s early life to Palaeozoic rocks that underlie the Preseli Hills, the source of many bluestones. “This study revealed unprecedented details about the life of the cow, providing the first evidence for cattle movements from Wales,” said Jane Evans, a BGS honorary research associate, according to Wales Online.
Lead signatures indicated exposure to rock more than 400 million years old, typical of Wales, while carbon values showed a seasonal shift from winter woodland fodder to summer pasture. Evans explained that lead absorbed early in life was later released—likely during pregnancy—and redeposited in the growing tooth, preserving a record of the earlier landscape.
“[The work] provides unparalleled new detail on the distant origins of the animal and the arduous journey it was brought on… this detailed biographical approach on a single animal provides a brand-new facet to the story of Stonehenge,” said Richard Madgwick, professor of archaeological science at Cardiff University.
Michael Parker Pearson, professor of British later prehistory at University College London, called the finding “yet more fascinating evidence for Stonehenge’s link with south-west Wales” and raised the possibility that cattle hauled the stones.
Specialists added that oxen could have pulled stone blocks on wooden sledges over prepared routes, while cows might have carried lighter equipment. The research team acknowledged that the 125-mile journey might have been made while the animal was alive or that its remains were moved after death.
Isotope spikes suggested late-winter to spring stress consistent with pregnancy, offering intimate insights into the creature’s final months. “A slice of one cow tooth has told us an extraordinary tale and, as new scientific tools emerge, we hope there is still more to learn from her long journey,” said Evans.
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