Inventions & Discoveries · Transport and navigation
Domestication of the horse
The domestication of the horse turned wild horses into domestic animals; genomic evidence places the source of all modern domestic horses in the Volga–Don region of the Pontic–Caspian steppe, in present-day southwestern Russia, around 2200 BCE. Earlier claims, notably for the Botai culture of Kazakhstan in 3700–3500 BCE, remain debated. From this core area the domestic lineage spread rapidly across Eurasia for transport, farm work and warfare, replacing other local horse populations. Horses buried with chariots in Sintashta and Petrovka graves of about 2100–1700 BCE give the most persuasive archaeological evidence.
On the inventions tree
- First known
- c. 2200 BCE
- Where
- The Volga–Don steppe, Russia
NoteEarlier claims, at Botai in Kazakhstan (3700–3500 BCE) and on the steppe in the 5th millennium BCE, are debated.
See also
Cite this entry
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Domestication of the horse. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/domestication-of-the-horse
- MLA
- “Domestication of the horse.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/domestication-of-the-horse. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Domestication of the horse.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/domestication-of-the-horse.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Domestication of the horse’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/domestication-of-the-horse (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻