一個(gè)國際考古小組日前在哈薩克斯坦境內(nèi)發(fā)現(xiàn)了人類最早馴化馬的證據(jù),，這一發(fā)現(xiàn)將人類馴化馬的歷史向前推進(jìn)了大約1000年,。
英國埃克塞特大學(xué)和布里斯托爾大學(xué)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的這個(gè)考古小組在3月6日出版的美國《科學(xué)》雜志上介紹說,，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)的證據(jù)可以追溯到大約5500年前的波泰（Botai）文化,，波泰現(xiàn)位于哈薩克斯坦北部。他們的研究表明,，馬最初被馴化并不單純是供人類騎射之用,，也為了給人類提供食物來源如馬奶等。
考古人員對(duì)波泰地區(qū)出土的馬的骨骼進(jìn)行分析后發(fā)現(xiàn),，這些馬的腳骨與青銅時(shí)代已馴化的馬相似,，而與同一地區(qū)的舊石器時(shí)代野馬不同,。某些古代波泰馬的頭骨還揭示了這些馬牙齒上有戴馬嚼子的印記,。研究人員通過采自波泰陶器碎片的同位素?cái)?shù)據(jù)分辨出了來自馬奶的油脂，考古人員甚至還能確定這些馬是在夏季被擠的奶,。
研究人員認(rèn)為,，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)證實(shí)至少某些波泰馬已被馴化，這是迄今所記錄的人類最早馴化馬的證據(jù),。
?？巳卮髮W(xué)考古學(xué)家艾倫·烏特勒姆表示，馬的馴化在人類歷史上具有重要意義,，他們的研究將野馬馴化史向前推進(jìn)了1000年,，有助于更好地研究人類的早期發(fā)展史。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Science 6 March 2009:DOI: 10.1126/science.1168594
The Earliest Horse Harnessing and Milking
Alan K. Outram,1* Natalie A. Stear,2 Robin Bendrey,3,7 Sandra Olsen,4 Alexei Kasparov,1,5 Victor Zaibert,6 Nick Thorpe,7 Richard P. Evershed2
Horse domestication revolutionized transport, communications, and warfare in prehistory, yet the identification of early domestication processes has been problematic. Here, we present three independent lines of evidence demonstrating domestication in the Eneolithic Botai Culture of Kazakhstan, dating to about 3500 B.C.E. Metrical analysis of horse metacarpals shows that Botai horses resemble Bronze Age domestic horses rather than Paleolithic wild horses from the same region. Pathological characteristics indicate that some Botai horses were bridled, perhaps ridden. Organic residue analysis, using 13C and D values of fatty acids, reveals processing of mare's milk and carcass products in ceramics, indicating a developed domestic economy encompassing secondary products.
1 Department of Archaeology, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QE, UK.
2 School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK.
3 CNRS UNR 5197, Muséum Nationale d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris 75005, France.
4 Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA 15206–3706, USA.
5 Institute for the History of Material Culture, RAS, St. Petersburg 191186, Russia.
6 Kokshetau University, 020000 Kokshetau, Akmolinsk Oblast, Kazakhstan.
7 Department of Archaeology, University of Winchester, Winchester SO22 4NR, UK.
