Botai culture
Encyclopedia
Botai Culture is termed Eneolithic (c. 3700-3100 BC). It was named by settlement Botai in Aqmola Province of Kazakhstan
. The Botai culture has two other large sites: Krasnyi Yar, and Vasilkovka.
The site of Botai is located on the Iman-Burluk River
, a tributary of the Ishim River
. The site has at least 153 pithouses.The settlement was partly destroyed by the steeply eroding river bank which is still occurring and by management of the wooded area.
The occupations of the Botai people were connected to their horses. Many researchers state that horses were domesticated right here by the Botai. It was once thought that most of the horses in evidence were probably the wild species, Equus ferus, hunted with bows, arrows and harpoons. However, evidence reported in 2009 for pottery containing mare's milk and of horse bones with telltale signs of being bred after domestication have demonstrated a much stronger case for the Botai culture as a major user of domestic horses by about 3,500 B.C., close to 1,000 years earlier than the previous scientific consensus. This does not necessarily mean they were the first to domesticate horses
, but makes them the earlier known candidate.
Current research is being conducted by Alan Outram of Exeter University in association with other institutes Bristol university
(UK), Winchester university
(UK) and Kokstetau university (KZ) universities and the Carnegie Museum. Along with students, Outram conducted a magnetometer survey of the Botai site in 2008 and is looking at conducting further research into the Botai culture's role into the development of horse domestication.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
. The Botai culture has two other large sites: Krasnyi Yar, and Vasilkovka.
The site of Botai is located on the Iman-Burluk River
Iman-Burluk River
The Iman-Burluk River is a river of Kazakhstan....
, a tributary of the Ishim River
Ishim River
Ishim River is a river running through Kazakhstan and Russia. Its length is 2,450 km , average discharge is 56,3 m³/s . It is a left tributary of the Irtysh River. The Ishim River is partly navigable in its lower reaches. The upper course of the Ishim passes through Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan...
. The site has at least 153 pithouses.The settlement was partly destroyed by the steeply eroding river bank which is still occurring and by management of the wooded area.
The occupations of the Botai people were connected to their horses. Many researchers state that horses were domesticated right here by the Botai. It was once thought that most of the horses in evidence were probably the wild species, Equus ferus, hunted with bows, arrows and harpoons. However, evidence reported in 2009 for pottery containing mare's milk and of horse bones with telltale signs of being bred after domestication have demonstrated a much stronger case for the Botai culture as a major user of domestic horses by about 3,500 B.C., close to 1,000 years earlier than the previous scientific consensus. This does not necessarily mean they were the first to domesticate horses
Domestication of the horse
There are a number of hypotheses on many of the key issues regarding the domestication of the horse. Although horses appeared in Paleolithic cave art as early as 30,000 BCE, these were truly wild horses and were probably hunted for meat. How and when horses became domesticated is disputed...
, but makes them the earlier known candidate.
Current research is being conducted by Alan Outram of Exeter University in association with other institutes Bristol university
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
(UK), Winchester university
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
(UK) and Kokstetau university (KZ) universities and the Carnegie Museum. Along with students, Outram conducted a magnetometer survey of the Botai site in 2008 and is looking at conducting further research into the Botai culture's role into the development of horse domestication.