A single cow tooth buried for nearly 5,000 years is offering remarkable new insight into the origins of Stonehenge and the lives of the people and animals connected to it.
Researchers analyzing the tooth of a Neolithic cow have found chemical evidence that ties the animal to Wales, strengthening the long-held theory that Stonehenge’s iconic stones—and possibly the animals that helped transport them—came from there.
The study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, focused on a cow jawbone discovered in 1924 near the south entrance of Stonehenge.
Using modern isotope analysis, scientists examined the animal’s third molar tooth, which forms during its second year of life and preserves chemical records of its diet and environment.
The results revealed that the cow lived around the time Stonehenge was first built, between 2995 and 2900 BCE, and likely came from southwest Wales—the same region where the monument’s bluestones originated.
“This is yet more fascinating evidence for Stonehenge’s link with south-west Wales,” said Professor Michael Parker Pearson of UCL Archaeology. “It raises the tantalizing possibility that cattle helped to haul the stones.”
By slicing the tooth into nine layers, researchers were able to reconstruct six months of the animal’s life, spanning from winter to summer.
Oxygen isotopes indicated the seasonal climate shifts recorded in the tooth, while carbon isotopes revealed changes in diet: woodland fodder in winter and open pasture grass in summer.
Strontium isotopes pointed to food sources from different geological areas, suggesting that the cow either migrated seasonally or that its winter feed was brought in from elsewhere.
One of the most intriguing findings came from lead isotopes, which showed unusual spikes during late winter and spring.
These matched the composition of older Paleozoic rocks, consistent with the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire, Wales—the same source of Stonehenge’s smaller bluestones. This strengthens the case that the cow, like the stones, made the journey from Wales to Salisbury Plain.
The lead signal also hinted at a more personal detail: researchers believe the cow was pregnant or nursing while its tooth was forming. To confirm, they used a peptide-based sex test at the University of Manchester, which showed a high likelihood the animal was female.
“This study has revealed unprecedented details of six months in a cow’s life,” said Professor Jane Evans of the British Geological Survey. “A slice of one cow tooth has told us an extraordinary tale.”
Richard Madgwick, professor of archaeological science at Cardiff University, added that while Stonehenge is often studied in terms of sweeping historical narratives, this discovery provides a rare, intimate glimpse into the life of a single animal brought to one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments.
By linking a humble cow tooth to the stones of Stonehenge, the research deepens the connection between the monument and its Welsh origins, while reminding us that history is sometimes best told through the smallest of details.
Source: University College London.
