This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: As populations expanded in medieval England, key changes occurred in the uses of cattle and sheep to produce food and materials, according to a study published Sept. 2, 2026, in the journal PLOS One by Matilda Holmes of the University of Leicester, United Kingdom, David Orton of the University of York, United Kingdom, and colleagues. Medieval England experienced major changes in population sizes and trade networks, requiring changes in the ways animals were used for meat, milk and arable production.
Historically, the timing of these changes has been poorly understood. In this study, Holmes and colleagues investigated the changing animal economy using a large data set provided by the Feeding Anglo-Saxon England project, including information from 460 sites across England from CE 400–1400. Early in this time range, cattle were far more abundant than sheep, but sheep began to increase during the 7th century, originating with monastic farms that emphasized wool production.
By the end of the time range, the importance of wool in the economy was firmly established. Between the 10th and 12th centuries, the growing importance of older male cattle, combined with increasing deformations to their lower limb bones, was consistent with their use as draft animals. This practice waned afterward, likely because of increased demand for meat, as evidenced by earlier culling of cattle, and the growing role of draft horses.
These data confirm previously reported trends and clarify the timing of certain events, such as the earlier rise of sheep farming and the fluctuating use of draft cattle. The authors note that many areas of uncertainty remain for future study, including assessments of significant variation between archaeological sites and standardization of methods for determining the sex of ancient domesticated animals. The authors add, "The use of an aoristic method allowed us to look at the changing use of cattle and sheep over a continuous chronology, rather than relying on artificial periods such as 'Saxon' or 'high medieval.' This way we could see more clearly the shift in emphasis toward sheep husbandry in the seventh century and the peak in draft cattle use for arable production in the 10th to 12th centuries, followed by a change in market forces requiring more meat and milk as the population grew in the 13th and 14th centuries." "This was a great project to work on; it followed on from the groundbreaking research produced by the Feeding Medieval England project by using the data from that project to develop a new method of analysis with David Orton.
This method will allow a better understanding of changes in the animal economy over time, and there is no reason why the method cannot be expanded to include other types of archaeological data." "The increase in older cattle in the 10th to 12th centuries was unexpected and implies a real change in the working practices of farmers in that period. It would have relied upon closer working relationships between people and cattle, and it is likely that they were valued members of the workforce. As far as sheep are concerned, the new monastic communities of the late seventh century appear to have instigated the increase in wool production that underpinned the English economy well into the 16th century." Meat, milk, wool and grain: The animal economy of medieval England (CE 400 to 1400), PLOS One (2026).
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0355965 MA in English, copy editor since 2021 with experience in higher education and health content. Dedicated to trustworthy science news. Full profile → Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing.
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