Hoof Beats:How Horses Shaped Human History

by: William T. Taylor (Author)

Publisher: University of Califoia Press

Publication Date: 2024/8/6

Language: English

Print Length: 360 pages

ISBN-10: 0520380673

ISBN-13: 9780520380677

Book Description

"Hoof Beats helps readers see the drama even in the grass eating. . . . Taylor has written that too-rare work that is as authoritative as it is legible to the lay audience."—New York TimesJouey to the ancient past with cutting-edge science and new data to discover how horses forever altered the course of human history.     From the Rockies to the Himalayas, the bond between horses and humans has spanned across time and civilizations. In this archaeological jouey, William T. Taylor explores how momentous events in the story of humans and horses helped create the world we live in today. Tracing the horse's origins and spread from the weste Eurasian steppes to the invention of horse-drawn transportation and the explosive shift to mounted riding, Taylor offers a revolutionary new account of how horses altered the course of human history.    Drawing on Indigenous perspectives, ancient DNA, and new research from Mongolia to the Great Plains and beyond, Taylor guides readers through the major discoveries that have placed the horse at the origins of globalization, trade, biological exchange, and social inequality. Hoof Beats transforms our understanding of both horses and humanity's ancient past and asks us to consider what our relationship with horses means for the future of humanity and the world around us.

About the Author

"Hoof Beats helps readers see the drama even in the grass eating. . . . Taylor has written that too-rare work that is as authoritative as it is legible to the lay audience."—New York TimesJouey to the ancient past with cutting-edge science and new data to discover how horses forever altered the course of human history.     From the Rockies to the Himalayas, the bond between horses and humans has spanned across time and civilizations. In this archaeological jouey, William T. Taylor explores how momentous events in the story of humans and horses helped create the world we live in today. Tracing the horse's origins and spread from the weste Eurasian steppes to the invention of horse-drawn transportation and the explosive shift to mounted riding, Taylor offers a revolutionary new account of how horses altered the course of human history.    Drawing on Indigenous perspectives, ancient DNA, and new research from Mongolia to the Great Plains and beyond, Taylor guides readers through the major discoveries that have placed the horse at the origins of globalization, trade, biological exchange, and social inequality. Hoof Beats transforms our understanding of both horses and humanity's ancient past and asks us to consider what our relationship with horses means for the future of humanity and the world around us.