The Origin of Horse Breeding and its Role in History (based on the materials of Saryarka)

Research suggests that horse domestication likely occurred simultaneously across the steppe regions of South-Eastern Europe, the Volga region, and Kazakhstan, particularly along ancient meridian migration routes. The Central Route (r.Sarisu), traversing Saryarka’s steppes in Northern Kazakhstan, emerges as a pivotal corridor for this process, supported by mythological narratives tied to its junction stations. Saryarka is proposed as the epicenter of Eurasian steppe culture, serving as a political and cult hub—an 'atazhurt' or ancestral homeland—for nomadic societies. The study highlights how this region’s vast landscapes fostered complex nomadism dynamics, influencing historical trajectories and world harmony perceptions among steppe communities.

Artykbayev, Zh. (2022). The Origin of Horse Breeding and its Role in History (based on the materials of Saryarka). Journal of History, 104(1). https://doi.org/10.26577/jh.2022.v104.i1.08