Botai

Botai refers to an archaeological culture of the North-Central Eurasian steppe, centered in present-day northern Kazakhstan, dating to the late Neolithic and Eneolithic (roughly 3700–3100 BCE). The culture is named after the Botai site, a large settlement whose excavations began in the mid-20th century and which yielded a substantial assemblage of animal remains, pottery, and features such as circular dwellings and storage pits. Across Botai sites, archaeologists have found abundant horse bones and artifacts, suggesting an early focus on horse exploitation within a broader subsistence system that included hunting and gathering.

A defining claim of Botai archaeology is evidence for early horse management and possible domestication. Wear patterns on horse teeth from Botai contexts have been interpreted as indicating bit use, and some finds point to processing of horse products or mares’ milk. The precise nature of domestication at Botai remains debated, but many scholars regard Botai as providing some of the earliest substantiated signals of horse control.

Genetic analyses indicate that Botai horses belonged to an early, distinct population and did not directly seed the modern domestic horse lineage. Later horse domestication appears to have arisen elsewhere or in parallel lineages that gave rise to today’s breeds.

The Botai culture is a foundational reference in studies of early pastoralism and horse domestication on the Eurasian steppe, and ongoing excavations and analyses continue to refine its chronology and its relationship to subsequent cultures in the region.