Equine Dentistry and Early Horse Husbandry in the Mongolian Steppe

Summary

Although nomadic horse pastoralism remains an important way of life in eastern Central Asia, the origins of horse herding in the region and their relationship to key social developments are poorly understood. Recent work indicates that late Bronze Age people of Mongolia's Deer Stone - Khirigsuur (DSK) Complex herded horses, and used some of them for transport by circa 1200 BCE. This paper presents evidence that DSK people practiced equine dentistry and veterinary care, removing or modifying incorrectly erupted deciduous incisors that may have interfered with feeding. Results indicate a sophisticated knowledge of equine anatomy and behavior during the late Bronze Age, which would have contributed to the success of nomadic societies in Mongolia during the first millennium BCE.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Human, Animal, and Environmental Interaction in Northeast Asia

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15065