5,000-Year-Old Skeletons Show Earliest Evidence Of Horseback Riding

The first people to master the art of horseback riding may have lived in eastern Europe around 5,000 years ago. After examining the remains of hundreds of individuals from the ancient Yamnaya culture, researchers identified signs of skeletal stress caused by equestrian activity in around 15 percent of samples. Exactly when humans first took to horseback is something that has puzzled archaeologists and anthropologists for some time. Studies have indicated that the animals were first domesticated for their milk and meat around 5,500 years ago, while the earliest evidence for horse-drawn chariots is about 4,000 years old. Advertisement Advertisement However,…