Paired Horse and PIE breakup

[Paul Kekai Manansala]

N. Ganesan wrote:
>
> N. Ganesan wrote:
>
> >    I want to know parallels to IE horse complex of myth/ritual
> >    that has spread great distances (eg., Rome and India) in
> >    preliterate/nonliterate societies.
>
> P. K. Manansala writes:
> I posted some time ago, a broad cultural complex that spread from
> Manchuria to Eastern Europe among the Altaic, Uralic and "Scythian"
> peoples. Some thought the complex rather general although I found it
> much more specific and wide-ranging that horse culture referred to here.
>
>      I could not find your writing about cultural complex
>      from Eastern Europe to Manchuria. I will appreciate
>      some elaboration.

To save some time, I looked the article up in the archives.  Here is the
pertinent segment:

[...]
Regarding the Altaic culture, the similarities between Hsiung-nu and
later Turko-Mongol culture with the culture ascribed to Scythians by
Herodotus and others is well-known.  Here is a partial list:

1. The joint burial of humans with horses often oriented toward East.
2. Fully nomadic society on horseback.
3. Slitting the throat of the chief's wife and servants on tomb
4. Cutting one's enemy's skull at eyebrow level, inlaying with gold
    and covering with leather to make a drinking cup.
5. Head-hunting.
6. Hanging scalps of victims from bridles.
7. Wide trousers strapped to the ankle.
8. Fur cap and cape.
9. Mourn dead by gashing face with knives so "blood flows with
    tears."
10. Had flocks of sheep and herds of horses, camel and cattle.
11. Meat and milk diet.Rarely practiced regular agriculture.
12. Dressed in skins.
13. Wolf as totem guard and revival totem.
14. Used felt tents and brought women and children in wagons.
15. Practiced shamanism based on worship of Heaven and sacred
      mountains.
16. Supreme leader summoned all tribes in the autumn for census of
      humans and animals.
17. Used raiding and fleeing tactics.
18. Depended on mounted bowmen in battle.
19. Used same feigned retreat strategies.
20. Both were experts at firing bows to the rear while mounted.
21. Slept on furs.
22. Usually shaved head except small tuft on top.
23. Used similar small yet fierce pony.
24. Switched horses in battle.
25. Drank blood of horse during battle to prevent dehydration.
26. Usually no beard except tuft on chin.
27. Sheath of bow suspended from belt in front of left thigh.
28. Quiver attached to belt and suspended across back with arrows to
      right.
29. Preferred mare's milk to other types of milk.
30. Similar burial in raised mounds.
31. Similar "plank and file" coffins
32. Similar bows