Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – There are many secrets surrounding Stonehenge that remain to be uncovered.
A compelling study from the 2010s revealed that Stonehenge’s standing bluestones were quarried approximately 140 miles away from the iconic monument, at two distinct sites in Wales.
Stonehenge. Credit: Adobe Stock – Donald
In 1924, archaeologists unearthed a cow’s jawbone during excavations near the south entrance of Stonehenge. This artifact was dated to the monument’s early period, between 2995 and 2900 BCE. The discovery has long intrigued historians, prompting questions about its significance and the special status of the animal.
Now, researchers from British Geological Survey (BGS), Cardiff University, and University College London have employed isotope analysis to gain deeper insights into this artifact, shedding light on the origins of this historic landmark.
The team sectioned the third molar tooth of the cow, which archives chemical signals from its second year of life, into nine horizontal segments. This precise method enabled them to analyze isotopes of carbon, oxygen, strontium, and lead. Each isotope provides valuable insights into the cow’s dietary habits, environmental conditions, and migratory patterns.
The results of the study showed that the cow originated from an area with Palaeozoic rocks, such as the bluestones found in Wales, before moving to Stonehenge. This is the first time that scientists have seen evidence linking cattle remains from Stonehenge to Wales, adding further weight to theories that cows were used in the transportation of the enormous rocks across the country.
This latest research helps fill in just a few more of those gaps as we learn more about this legendary landmark.
According to Michael Parker Pearson, Professor of British Later Prehistory at University College London, there is also more fascinating evidence for Stonehenge’s link with south-west Wales, where its bluestones come from. It raises the tantalising possibility that cattle helped to haul the stones.
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer