The earliest horse harnessing and milking.
Horse domestication revolutionized transport, communications, and warfare in prehistory, yet the identification of early domestication processes has been problematic. Here, we present three independent lines of evidence demonstrating domestication in the Eneolithic Botai Culture of Kazakhstan, dating to about 3500 B.C.E. Metrical analysis of horse metacarpals shows that Botai horses resemble Bronze Age domestic horses rather than Paleolithic wild horses from the same region. Pathological characteristics indicate that some Botai horses were bridled, perhaps ridden. Organic residue analysis, using delta13C and deltaD values of fatty acids, reveals processing of mare's milk and carcass products in ceramics, indicating a developed domestic economy encompassing secondary products.
Outram
Alan K
AK
Department of Archaeology, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QE, UK. a.k.outram@ex.ac.uk
Stear
Natalie A
NA
Bendrey
Robin
R
Olsen
Sandra
S
Kasparov
Alexei
A
Zaibert
Victor
V
Thorpe
Nick
N
Evershed
Richard P
RP
D000383:Agriculture / Q000266:history*; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000266:history*; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D005260:Female; D049690:History, Ancient; D006736:Horses / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007623:Kazakhstan; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D050279:Metacarpal Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008892:Milk; D008963:Molar / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012621:Seasons
D008055:Lipids