The domestication of plants and animals was the most important moment in our history. It allowed us to settle down and begin building cities and civilisation. This this process began in earnest ~10,000 years ago, although some animals got on the bandwagon early. Dogs may have been domesticated as early as 30,000 years ago. But there is some tantalising evidence another animal got in on the fun. Did palaeolithic people domesticate horses?
There is actually some strong evidence they did domesticate horses. Some prey animals show evidence of being speared at close range. Since we're talking about fast moving creatures - like reindeer - this suggests humans were moving pretty fast. Perhaps on the backs of horses? Some horses also show damage to their teeth, which might be consistent with wearing reins.
But perhaps the clincher is some palaeolithic art, which appears to depict horses wearing said reins.
Nevertheless, the claim that people in the stone age could have domesticated horses often meets with negative reaction. A lot of it quite automatic. After all, it doesn't fit in with our preconceptions about these people. They were hunter-gatherers; notable for not domesticating things. Yet there's no reason why they could not domesticate horses. They were fully modern humans, just as smart as the individuals who later went on to do just that.
Is archaeology just a little bit prejudiced, biased against these "primitive groups" who weren't that primitive.
Or maybe they do have some good reasons to reject the idea they did domesticate horses after all. The damage to teeth can be explained by the horses gnawing on bark, not wearing reigns. The close range damage done to prey was very precise; suggesting the animal wasn't actually moving. Could it have been taken in a trap.
And that wonderful art which seems to show reins also depicts them on bison and other undomesticated animals. Could it just be a pattern our ancestors drew on animals and not an actual physical thing?
So palaeolithic people did not domesticate horses. Yet I still feel that initial negative reaction is unwarrented. Tell someone cave men rode horses and you encounter guffaws akin to suggesting the Flintstones is a documentary. Yet, cognitively speaking, there's no reason they couldn't have. Whilst we might view them as primitive they were just as smart as us.
Show the cave people some respect
References
White, R., Bahn, P. G., Clottes, J., Cribb, R., Delpech, F., Kehoe, T. F., ... & Svoboda, J. (1989). Husbandry and Herd Control in the Upper Paleolithic: A Critical Review of the Evidence [and Comments and Reply]. Current Anthropology, 609-632.
