Stonehenge builders ate animals from as far away as Scotland, research finds

The “army of builders” who constructed Stonehenge feasted on animals that came from as far away as Scotland, new findings have shown.

Studies of the remains of livestock found close to the Neolithic monument in Wiltshire suggest that some may have been herded or transported by boat over 500 miles.

The findings are being showcased in a new exhibition called Feast! Food at Stonehenge and highlight that the stone structure may have had significance to ancient peoples across Britain.

The main henge was built around 2,500BC in what was clearly a concerted effort by hundreds of skilled people, who were homed and fed nearby.

Teams from the universities of York, Cardiff and Sheffield and UCL have been studying the bones and teeth of 38,000 pigs and cattle found near the henge over the last decade.

Most of the remains come from the site of a Neolithic village called Durrington Walls, about a mile from Stonehenge, which is believed to have housed the builders and first visitors.

Researchers used the element strontium in the animals' teeth to identify locations where they were fed and results show the livestock came from right across the British mainland.

English Heritage historian Susan Greany said: "Our exhibition explores the important role feasts and food played at Stonehenge.

"Raising the ancient stones was an incredible feat but so too was feeding the army of builders."

Ms Greany said most of the animals were slaughtered at around nine months old, which tallies with the idea they would have been born in the spring and then eaten in mid winter around the solstice.

Many of the animals had scorch marks on their feet and lower legs suggesting they were roasted on open fires and the fact the bones were largely found in the right anatomical position indicates their butchers were not using the carcasses for all their available nourishment.

The findings lend credence to the idea that Stonehenge was famous across Britain during its time and a significant point of pilgrimage.

Although the builders behind the henge are shrouded in mystery, academics believe it took a huge effort from hundreds of well-organised people. For instance, while most of the monument’s stones appear to have been sourced locally, its smaller ‘bluestones’ are thought to have come from the Preseli Hills in south-west Wales.

Some argue the bluestones could have been brought to Salisbury Plain by glaciers, but most archaeologists think that they were moved by human effort. This would have entailed transporting them by sea up the Bristol Channel and then hauling them over a significant distance by land.

Even the larger sarsen stones, which weighed between 20 to 30 tons, would have been transported around 20 miles to the site, a feat that would have need significant manpower and technical expertise.