Horses (China)

[Lars Martin Fosse]

At 06:37 11.05.98 -800, you wrote:
>      Wolfgang Behr <w.behr at EM.UNI-FRANKFURT.DE>
>wrote:
>
>> At 14:04 10.05.98 +0100, Jan Houben wrote:
>>
>> > Wasn't horse-culture in China strongly
>> > associated with "western people"?
>>
>> Yes indeed. There is strong evidence, that the domesticated horse
>> first appeared in association with the chariot during the late Shang
>> period (i.e. 12th c. b.c.). The chariot is almost certainly a "Western"
>> cultural innovation. Cf. for textual & archaeological evidence
>>
>
>There is no evidence though that these "Western" people were
>Indo-Europeans or that the domesticated horse was associated with any
>migrations of people into China.

AS far as I know, archaeological remains have been found of almost "Nordic"
looking people in Sinkiang (pl. correct me if I am wrong about the place).
The bodies are well preserved, and they should indicate that migrations of
Indo-European looking people took place. But, of course, the dead don't speak.

There is an Internet site about this, but I have lost the web-address. Sorry.

On the other hand, the horse-and-chariot concept may have passed through
non-Indo-European hands before reaching China. So we shan't know for sure.

Too bad.

Best regards,

Lars Martin Fosse


Dr.art. Lars Martin Fosse
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