Early evidence for horse utilization in the Eurasian steppes and the case of the Novoil’inovskiy 2 Cemetery in Kazakhstan

Abstract

This paper reports the results of zooarchaeological and archaeological studies of two Late Bronze Age horses from Kurgan 5 of the Novoil’inovskiy 2 Cemetery, Kostanay Region, the Republic of Kazakhstan. The study documents the key period in the development of horse utilization during the Bronze Age and elaborates on the chronology of this process by applying the radiocarbon dating. The conducted analysis ranges from field observations of how bones were situated in the ritual pit to the examination of bone pathologies and the investigation of associated cheekpieces. We conclude that the key horsemanship practices were already fully established during the Bronze Age, as horse remains demonstrate evidence for bridling, which can be linked to the utilization of bridles with cheekpieces and soft bits. If these horses were used for riding, the radiocarbon age of the complex (cal. 1890–1774 BCE) pushes the gradual shift from chariot to horseback riding towards the beginning of the 2nd millennium BCE.