Modern horse herd on the steppes of Inner Mongolia, China Ludovic ORLANDO/CAGT/CNRS Phototh?que
One of the most stubborn mysteries in prehistory has finally been reined in. A massive study of ancient DNA has revealed where horses were domesticated: around 2200 BC on the steppes of central Eurasia, near the Volga and Don rivers in what is now Russia.
“Finally, we find where and when horses were domesticated,” says Ludovic Orlando at Paul Sabatier University in France.
The domestication of horses was a crucial event because it revolutionised travel and warfare. Horses can carry riders and pull wheeled vehicles,…
