ABSTRACT

The origin and dissemination of paired horse burials and the implications of adopting wheeled vehicle technology on Bronze Age European societies has not been extensively studied. To address this, we present the chronological, artifactual, DNA, contextual, and zooarchaeological analytical results from a Bronze Age double-horse burial in a barrow from Husiatyn, Podolia Upland, western Ukraine. The burial was radiocarbon dated to the 15th century b.c., and the preserved antler bridle elements are stylistically similar to those from the Carpathian-Danube area. The coat color of the Husiatyn horses was determined from ancient DNA analysis, and their arrangement facing each other, combined with little evidence of lesions on their bones and teeth, suggest they were well treated and probably ridden and/or harnessed to a chariot/cart. We argue that Middle Bronze Age Trzciniec Circle communities northeast of the Carpathians adopted the chariot package as a useful component of their elaborate funerary rituals.

摘要

配对马葬的起源和传播以及采用轮式车辆技术对青铜时代欧洲社会的影响尚未得到广泛研究。为了解决这个问题，我们展示了乌克兰西部 Podolia 高地 Husiatyn 古墓中青铜时代双马墓葬的时间顺序、人工制品、DNA、背景和动物考古学分析结果。墓葬的放射性碳年代可追溯到公元前 15世纪., 以及保存下来的鹿角辔元素在风格上与喀尔巴阡-多瑙河地区的相似。Husiatyn 马的毛色是根据古代 DNA 分析确定的，它们彼此面对的排列，再加上它们的骨骼和牙齿几乎没有损伤的证据，表明它们受到了良好的治疗，可能被骑乘和/或被套在战车/手推车上. 我们认为，喀尔巴阡山脉东北部的中青铜时代 Trzciniec Circle 社区将战车包裹作为其精心设计的丧葬仪式的有用组成部分。