Before the CowboysLong before the Mongols, horses were used in combat. How much? Apparently, men rode horses 3,600 years ago in the Bronze Age. A finding confirms this theory.
He worked materials from the monuments of the Andronovo culture. An international team examined the age of the animals found on the old hill. A multidisciplinary study on the burial of horses was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: reports.
Not just won
The main investigator is Igor Chechushkov. It turned out that Andronovites dominated the art of riding a few centuries earlier than is generally assumed. The Novoilinovsky-2 cemetery is located near the city of Lisakovsk in Kazakhstan. Archaeologist Emma Usmanova worked there for decades. About 3600 years ago, people from the Andronovo culture lived in this area. A characteristic feature of the culture at that time was the development of horse breeding. Animals were used for feeding. But also for the use of cars and walks.
This is confirmed by the remains of horses discovered in the Novoilinovsky-2 cemetery. The scientists drew attention to the approximate age of the buried animals. The stallion was about 20 years old and the mare was about 18. It would have been too long to be won. There were details of old reins near the horses. Therefore, scientists put forward a new hypothesis. The animals were sacrificingly buried with the person who accompanied them throughout their lives.
Chechushkov analyzed the burials and radiocarbon dates. “We conclude that the use of horses in military matters was practiced much earlier than previously thought. Armed horsemen who fought on horseback could before 1600 BC. BC appeared in the Eurasian steppe, ”he said.
Skulls give clues
The remains showed changes in the skulls associated with the use of bridles for assembly. The study not only expanded the idea of the initial stage of using the horse as a saddle. It also provided an understanding of how human society works.
“It is likely that the militarized elite were buried in the Novoilinovsky-2 cemetery. The driver has a significant advantage over the foot soldier.” There can be another explanation: this elite served to mediate conflicts within the collective. Therefore, he had power and a high social status. “Men rode horses 3600 years ago. Metaphorically, this type of elite can be seen as a Bronze Age sheriff, ”explained Igor Chechushkov.
