The origins of animal traction in Britain: implications for technological and social developments in the Bronze Age

Animal traction is one of the key technological innovations that drove socioeconomic transformations in prehistoric societies. However, its emergence in Britain has remained poorly understood, mainly due to the limited preservation of physical evidence and the absence of iconographic representations associated with animal traction. Given the fragmented artefactual evidence, the osteological approach is the most promising method for advancing understanding of the development of this technology. The convergent results from two osteological approaches indicate that the earliest substantial evidence for cattle traction in Britain dates to the Middle to Late Bronze Age (1600 − 700 cal. BC). The beginning of this period is characterised by profound social transformations, such as agricultural intensification and the emergence of complex hierarchical social structures to which the technological innovation likely contributed. Animal traction was revolutionary, not only in enhancing cultivation capabilities but also fostering a new relationship between humans and animals. Cattle became active participants in communities’ life, working with humans to perform labour-intensive tasks that reshaped agricultural practices and economic structures.