Humans Rode Horses 1,300 Years Earlier Than Known

Why this is here: The Yamnaya people’s expansion across 5,000 kilometers of Eurasia occurred roughly around 3100 BCE and likely benefited from the use of early horsemanship.

Researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland now place the start of horse riding around 3500 to 3000 BCE. The team examined DNA, archaeological records, and bone evidence to revise the timeline of human-horse interaction. Previous estimates suggested domestication began around 2200 to 2100 BCE.

The study identified three distinct horse populations stretching from western Siberia to Central Europe. Taming efforts happened independently across these regions, not as a single event, but as a gradual process over many generations. This early use of horses may have played a role in the migration of the Yamnaya people from modern-day Russia and Ukraine into Europe and Asia around 3100 BCE.

The researchers note that fully understanding the extent of this early partnership remains difficult. Measuring the precise impact of horses on language dispersal and technological exchange requires further investigation, but the team continues to explore the deep connections between humans and horses.