Reconstructing Equine Bridles in the Mongolian Bronze Age

Abstract

BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Origins of equine dentistry

“…Although this kind of wear could conceivably be caused by intentional dental filing similar to modern flotation (23,45), the occlusal wear observed in our Iron Age and Early Middle Age samples was accompanied by other kinds of damage that are more definitively indicative of contact between the bit, teeth, and mandibular bone (9), including damage to the anterior margin of the second premolar (30) and new bone formation at the corners of the mouth where a jointed bit would rest. Bit wear was also entirely absent from the DSK sample, corroborating evidence from early horse equipment for Late Bronze Age organic bit use (9,38). Critically, then, the paired emergence of both metal bits and metal bit wear in the archaeological record of the Early Iron Age supports the inference of a link between metal bit use and the initiation of wolf tooth extraction.…”

“…BCE, 2-sigma range). Given the absence of other bitting damage associated with horses used for transport during this period, it appears that these soft organic bits caused little direct damage to the dentition (38), despite the observation that such bits can occasionally wear the anterior margin of the second premolar (1). Unextracted wolf teeth in a horse controlled with an organic bit may have led to noticeable issues with equine behavior or health.…”

“…The apparently delayed emergence of wolf tooth extraction in the archaeofaunal record shares striking parallels with technological developments in northeast Asian horse bits. Although no horse tack has been found from DSK horse burials or other second millennium BCE contexts, the earliest dated finds of bridle equipment from the early first millennium BCE consist of cheekpieces without a connecting mouthpiece (37,38). In one case, at the site of Jargalantyn Am, four horse skulls were recovered with bronze cheekpieces and remnant leather mouthpieces (39).…”

“…Finally, we considered these data alongside taphonomic evidence (including the completeness of each specimen, state of curation, and presence of postdepositional damage) to assess implications for ancient human activity (reported in SI Appendix, Table S1). We compared our inferences with the archaeological record for horse bridling and tack (38) to evaluate the contribution of changes in horse equipment and use to observed dental patterns. All data collected in the analysis are provided in SI Appendix.…”

Customs, rites, and sacrifices relating to a mortuary complex in Late Bronze Age Mongolia (Tsatsyn Ereg, Arkhangai)

“…The spatial distribution of the horses by age or sex does not reveal any particular pattern ( Fig. 13), unlike what was observed by Taylor et al (2016) at other sites. Males form a strong majority among the adults (19 males vs four females).…”