Stonehenge mystery 'solved' after 5,000 years following discovery of mysterious tooth
Stonehenge remains one of the world's most recognizable landmarks, yet it's origins estimated to be over 5,000 years ago are still very much up in the air as contrasting theories speculate quite how the mysterious rocks got there.
It's certainly not the only object or landmark from thousands of years ago to have contentious origins, as religious scholars continue to argue over the location of the Ark of the Covenant despite major finds in recent years.
When it comes to Stonehenge though there are broadly two theories that split opinion, with one camp insisting that it was melting glaciers that moved the rocks into place, whereas others argue that it was humans who transported and arranged the structure on Sailsbury Plain.
However, a major new discovery made by scientists has provided strong evidence to support the latter theory, and it all centers around analysis of a mysterious tooth found at the historical site.
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What does the tooth reveal about Stonehenge?
As reported by the Daily Mail, the tooth itself was discovered over a century ago in 1924, as archaeologists uncovered a cow's jawbone just beside the structure's south entrance that helped provide a rough date for when Stonehenge was formed.
Experts have now been able to use analysis of a tooth in the jawbone to provide further crucial information for the monument's origins, as it suggests that the cow it belonged to originated in Wales — where some of the rocks are believed to have also been located from.
Revealed in the study published in ScienceDirect, isotope analysis of the cow's third molar tooth allowed the scientists to measure carbon, oxygen, strontium, and lead, offering analysis of the animal's diet, environment, and movements.
These all play into the idea that cows were used by humans to transport the giant boulders that would eventually make up Stonehenge, effectively putting to bed theories surrounding a glacial origin.
"A slive of one cow tooth has told us an extraordinary tale and, as new scientific tools emerge, we hope there is more to learn about her long journey," explained the study's lead author, Professor Jane Evans of the British Geological Survey.
"This study has revealed unprecedented details of six months in a cow's life, providing the first evidence of cattle movement from Wales as well as documenting dietary changes and life events that happened around 5,000 years ago," Professor Evans added.
This discovery continues to 'fill in the gaps' of Stonehenge's mysterious history, and could lead to further fascinating reveals as analysis continues and technology continues to develop.
The gigantic bluestone boulders that make up Stonehenge amount to around 3.5 tonnes on their own, so you can understand why some remained unconvinced that humans alone were able to form these — especially when it was recognized that the rocks came from a different location.