Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Award: Utilization Of Domestic Horses In Historical And Ecological Context

University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM

Investigators

Abstract

Under the supervision of Dr. Emily Jones (PI), William T. Taylor (co-PI) will analyze skeletal remains of ancient horses to shed light on the origins of horse herding and riding in eastern Eurasia. The use of the domestic horse for food and transport has been linked with major social, political, and economic changes to human societies, but its origins in prehistory are poorly understood. This project will address these questions through demographic study to identify ancient herding practices, morphological analyses to establish evidence for horseback riding and/or driving, and radiocarbon dating. This research will improve understanding of the links between domestic horse use, ecology, and human behavior. In addition, the project will fund the completion of Mr. Taylor's dissertation at the University of New Mexico, and will lead to the creation of an open-access 3D database of ancient horse remains to preserve these data for research and education. The work will be shared with the international community through talks and peer-reviewed manuscripts in both Mongolian and English. Mr. Taylor's research will test predictions that horse-riding, herding societies developed in response to new ecological opportunities during the 2nd millennium BCE, centuries earlier than some existing models for East Asia suggest. By comparing ancient horses and modern specimens with known histories, the co-PI will characterize the impacts of bridling and riding on the equine skull, and using a 3D scanner, develop quantitative techniques for identifying horse transport in archaeological contexts. By estimating the age and sex of horse specimens buried at late Bronze Age stone monuments in Mongolia, Mr. Taylor will evaluate the possibility of ancient horse herding between 1300 and 700 BCE. With the aid of a portable 3D scanner, he will analyze these archaeological specimens for pathological changes, and use these data to assess the hypothesis that the horses were ridden or used to pull chariots. Finally, using new and published radiocarbon dates, Mr. Taylor will produce a chronological model to link changes in ancient Mongolian horse use with key environmental and cultural developments in Eurasia. These complementary studies will help to develop explanatory models for the origins and spread of horse herding and riding, which can be applied to modern and ancient societies around the globe.