Riding a horse is a physical challenge that can be tough on the body. But can it actually change your skeleton? Archaeologists from the University of Colorado Boulder set out to explore this question and uncovered some surprising results.

In a recent study, they examined evidence from medical studies of modern riders and ancient human remains to determine how horseback riding affects the human body. Their findings raise new doubts about the widely accepted Kurgan Hypothesis, which connects horse domestication with the spread of Indo-European languages.

The researchers found that horseback riding can indeed leave subtle changes on human skeletons, like altering the shape of the hip joint. However, these skeletal changes alone are not enough to conclusively prove that an individual rode horses.

Dispersion of Indo-European languages according to the Kurgan hypothesis
Dispersion of Indo-European languages according to the Kurgan hypothesis. Credit: DEMIS Mapserver / Wikimedia Commons

Other activities, such as sitting for extended periods, can also affect bone structure in similar ways. In archaeology, there are very few cases where we can unequivocally link a particular activity to skeletal changes, said Lauren Hosek, the study’s lead author and assistant professor of anthropology at CU Boulder. The findings were published in Science Advances on September 20, 2024.

This research challenges the long-held belief that horseback riding played a central role in the spread of Indo-European languages through the Kurgan Hypothesis.

The hypothesis, developed in the early 20th century, suggests that the domestication of horses by the Yamnaya people—who lived near the Black Sea around the 4th millennium BCE—enabled them to spread their culture and proto-Indo-European language across Eurasia.

A monument to famous racehorses at Arvaikheer, Mongolia. Archaeologist William Taylor has explored the early history of domesticated horses at sites along the Mongolian steppe
A monument to famous racehorses at Arvaikheer, Mongolia. Archaeologist William Taylor has explored the early history of domesticated horses at sites along the Mongolian steppe. Credit: William Taylor / University of Colorado Boulder

This theory has influenced how historians and archaeologists interpret the origins of many modern languages, including English, French, and others in the Indo-European family.

William Taylor, a co-author of the study and curator of archaeology at CU Boulder’s Museum of Natural History, noted that the earliest undeniable evidence of horse domestication for transport comes from the Ural Mountains region in Russia, around 4,000 years ago.

However, the Kurgan Hypothesis suggests that human-horse relationships began much earlier, and recent studies of Yamnaya human remains have been used as evidence to support this claim. The skeletal remains show signs of wear that some researchers believe could be linked to horseback riding.

The body areas under study are highlighted in red for (A) riding without stirrups; (B) riding with saddle and stirrups; (C) cart pulled by horse, donkey or hemion; and (D) cart pulled by cattle.
The body areas under study are highlighted in red for (A) riding without stirrups; (B) riding with saddle and stirrups; (C) cart pulled by horse, donkey or hemion; and (D) cart pulled by cattle. Credit: D. Chechushkova

However, Hosek and Taylor argue that this interpretation is overly simplistic. Hosek explained that the human skeleton is not a static entity; it changes throughout a person’s life in response to various stresses and activities. For instance, long periods of sitting or other repetitive actions can cause the bones to adjust, such as altering the shape of the hip socket.

This phenomenon makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about whether an individual was a horse rider based solely on skeletal remains. Other animals, such as donkeys and oxen, were also used for transportation in the ancient world, which further complicates the picture.

One of the study’s key findings is that similar skeletal changes have been observed in individuals who never rode horses. For example, Catholic nuns in 20th-century America showed similar skeletal alterations after spending long hours traveling in horse-drawn carriages.

The Kurgan hypothesis argues that the Yamnaya people spread their culture widely across Eurasia, including through the building of burial mounds, or
The Kurgan hypothesis argues that the Yamnaya people spread their culture widely across Eurasia, including through the building of burial mounds, or “kurgans,” such as this one on the Mongolian steppe. Credit: William Taylor / University of Colorado Boulder

This indicates that activities other than horseback riding can result in similar bone changes, casting doubt on whether the skeletal evidence attributed to the Yamnaya people necessarily proves they were riders.

In the end, Hosek and Taylor conclude that human remains alone cannot pinpoint when people first began riding horses. Human skeletons on their own won’t be enough evidence, Hosek stated. We need to combine this data with evidence from genetics, archaeology, and horse remains.

Taylor also expressed skepticism about the Kurgan Hypothesis, stating that, for now, no evidence conclusively shows that the Yamnaya domesticated horses.

SOURCES

University of Colorado Boulder

Lauren Hosek et al., Tracing horseback riding and transport in the human skeleton. Sci.Adv., 10, eado9774(2024). DOI:10.1126/sciadv.ado9774

  • Share on:

Discover more from LBV Magazine English Edition

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Follow LBV Magazine on Google News