This is a brief overview of one portion of the research project, “Palaeopathology and the Origins and Evolution of Horse Husbandry”. This project is collaborative and interdisciplinary, rooted in archaeology and employing veterinary science to understand the past.

Main objectives
The overall objective of the project is to identify osteological differences between riding, traction and free-living horses, resulting from their different life ways, in order to further our understanding of the origins and evolution of horse husbandry. Here I will, however, focus on one part of that project, chariot horses.

Project collaborators
Originally the Principal Investigator of this project was Prof. Leo Jeffcott (Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge). In October 2004 he took up a post in Australia and Prof. Graeme Barker took over as PI. Prof. Jeffcott continues to participate in the project as a collaborator. In addition to the PI, the core UK project team comprises myself (Dr Marsha Levine), as Senior Research Associate; Maša Amatt, as Technician; and Katherine Whitwell, FRCVS, as consultant veterinary pathologist.

We have two main collaborators in China, Prof. Li Shuicheng (Department of Archaeology, Peking University, Beijing) and Mr. Tian Yaqi (Shaanxi Archaeology Institute, Xi’an). We have relied upon Prof. Li’s network of contacts to enable us to obtain access to people, sites and horse skeletons. Mr. Tian, Head of the Yong-City Archaeological Team, Fengxiang County, is the field archaeologist responsible for the excavation of the chariot horses we studied. He provided us with skeletons, information and excellent working conditions.

Dr. Linas Daugnora, Head of the Department of Anatomy and Histology at the Lithuanian Veterinary Academy is also collaborating with us. He is providing the project with modern traction horse skeletons.