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Ox yoke from Loch Nell, Argyll

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Ox yoke from Loch Nell, Argyll
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This wooden ox yoke was found in a peat moss at Loch Nell in Argyll. It is the earliest surviving evidence in Scotland of a means for harnessing oxen. It dates from between 1950 and 1520 BC.

The yoke would have been used to harness two oxen. Even taking into account the fact that the yoke has shrunk after drying out since its discovery, the oxen used with it must have been smaller than modern breeds.

Keeping cattle for domestic use - pulling ploughs or carts - meant farmers had to keep land cleared for fodder. In many cases, part of the crops planted on ploughed areas would have been needed for cattle feed.

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