×
Scientists from the Saryarka Archaeological Institute are planning an international collaboration with archaeozoologist Martin Riesenberg from the Free University of Berlin.Martin Riesenberg and SAI archaeologists are preparing to implement a joint research project devoted to the study of the early use of horses for transport in the Eurasian steppes. The study will focus on the distinction between horse riding and horse traction, and will examine the chronological and spatial dynamics associated with these two main modes of transport. It will also examine how technological innovations in horse transport affected the lifestyle, especially the health, of horses and people over time. To study the spatial dynamics of these processes, two regions of the Eurasian steppe belt will be studied and compared: one at the putative center (central Kazakhstan) and one on the periphery of horse innovations in the wider region (the Carpathian Basin).The chronological framework covers the period from the Bronze Age to the early Middle Ages. The main focus will be on the following three periods: 1) Middle and Late Bronze Age, 2) Early Iron Age, 3) Early Middle Ages. The fundamental element of the study will be the collection of basic individual data (age, sex, build, health status, etc.). However, the main focus will be on pathological and subpathological changes in the skeleton, including entheseal changes associated with transport activity.