Researchers from the British Geological Survey (BGS), Cardiff University, and University College London have examined a cow tooth intentionally left near the entrance of Stonehenge during its construction between 2995 and 2900 B.C. The team uncovered new evidence that some building materials—specifically the bluestones—were transported more than 200 kilometers from Wales to Salisbury Plain in England.
The stones for Stonehenge were sourced from various places. Large sarsen sandstone blocks were quarried in Wiltshire, specifically in West Woods, about 25 kilometers from the site. The bluestones were transported from Wales. Meanwhile, the massive altar stone of Stonehenge appears to have traveled roughly 750 kilometers, likely arriving from the northeast of Scotland by sea.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
The study of the cow’s third molar revealed that the animal began its life in Wales. That supports the theory that cattle were used to move the enormous stones. The cow’s jaw containing this tooth was discovered near a Neolithic site a century ago, leaving historians puzzled about how it ended up there.
Isotope analysis let the team measure levels of lead, strontium, carbon, and oxygen in the cow’s tooth, revealing that the cow was pregnant when it arrived at Salisbury Plain. The pregnancy showed up as sharp spikes in lead isotope levels from late winter to spring, as reported by The Guardian. During pregnancy, the cow mobilized lead stored in its skeleton, probably accumulated from Paleozoic rocks—such as the bluestone formations in Wales that were quarried for Stonehenge.
“This indicates that at a very early stage in its life, the cow incorporated lead into its skeleton, and this lead was sourced from ancient Paleozoic rocks, which are over 400 million years old. Such rocks are predominantly found in Wales, the closest source of lead, as well as in the Lake District and Scotland,” explained Professor Jane Evans, an honorary research fellow at BGS.
Wales thus emerges as the most likely region to supply that lead composition. That means the analysis of the cow’s tooth shows the animal was not born in the area of modern Wiltshire, England, where the jaw was found. The cow likely grazed on older rock formations for some time, making Wales the most probable birthplace during its early life.
Until recently, archaeologists had not found clear evidence that people used cattle as draft animals during the Neolithic era. However, one previous study suggested that the hoof structure of some cows is consistent with that possibility, Evans said.
Evans added, “I don’t know how long it takes to transport stones from Wales to Stonehenge, but it’s not an easy process. It requires significant support, including feeding the animals.”
Carbon isotope analysis showed that the cow’s diet changed with the seasons. In winter it ate woodland forage, and in summer it grazed in open pastures. Strontium isotope analysis confirmed that the seasonal food came from different geological zones, suggesting the cow moved between them.
Michael Parker Pearson, a professor of late prehistory at University College London, called this “yet another fascinating piece of evidence linking Stonehenge to southwest Wales.” He argues we cannot dismiss “the intriguing possibility that cattle helped transport the stones.”
Richard Madwick, a professor of archaeology at Cardiff University, remarked, “Unprecedented new details about the animal’s distant origins and the arduous journey it undertook have been revealed. Often, studies of major archaeological sites focus on grand narratives, but this detailed biographical approach to a single animal has opened up an entirely new facet of Stonehenge’s history.”
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