I still do not understand why so much discuss about the chariot
CHARIOT AND HORSE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WITH THE ENTRANCE OF IE IN EUROPE
why?
cause Kurgans theory is tottaly wrong, as also horse and chariot.
IE ENTER EUROPE AROUND 3500 specially NORTH OF DONAU (IΣΤΡΟΣ, DANUBE DONAV)
THERE IS ARCHAIOLOGICAL AND GENETICAL EVIDENCE.
many times I supported the theory that IE theory as explained by kurgans and horse/chariot is wrong
THE ONLY EVIDENCE THAT FITS IN IE THEORY BOTH IN TIME GENETICAL AND ARCHAIOLOGICAL IS ARSENIC BRONZE,
Arsenic bronze was invented around south Georgia (Maykob) pass to Yamna and from there to Baltic sea (the Northern ones) and to Cotofeni Vatin Vucocar (the south ones).
IT FITS EXACTLY WITH THE SPREAD OF IE GENETICAL DATA, LANGUAGES AND DATES.
now about Chariot.
The oldest chariot is found around 2-2500 BC.
Meaning 1500-1000 after bronze and the collapse of Vinca and simmilar cultures.
so does it has any meaning in IE expansion?
Early Mycenean language is estimated 1900-2300 BC but no chariot found that time in Europe,
So chariot did not took part in IE expansion
to be more specific
a chariot can be usefull in lands of Hungary or Syria or Central asian steppes but is it usefull in areas like Ukraine or Lithuania?
For me NO, a chariot can give spead if works, but in lands where mud is for months is just a trouble,
now something interesting
IN THE BATTLE OF KADESH (Hettits vs Egyptians) there is mentioned and calculated a number of about 100-200 total chariots, when we know that Hettit power was chariot
CHARIOTS WERE EXPENCIVE THAT TIME, ONLY KINGS AND WEALTHY HAVE THEM.
in all ancient known battles with chariots the number was 1 chariot per hundreds of warrior, 1/x00.
now to enter to more sophisticated thoughts and discuss.
Horse,
somewhere in Middle East or (Euro)Asian Steppe.
an animal with spead, and meat
YES I agree that Steppe dwellers domasticated the horse but for what?
maybe for food (like sheep) and fast carco movement when they roam or devastate?
They could use horse for both, but a chariot?
as I said a charriot is expensive, it needs tools to be done, materials to be carried, tools to carried, if an accident happens,
AND IRON HAS NOT INVENTED YET. copper is not the perfect metall to work hard wood that chariot demands, you need much copper to produce and repair a charriot,
bronze is better but still no chariot when bronze is invented,
Charriot in the hands of farmers or wealthy merchants,
That is a good idea,
a chariot driven by oxes to carry grain fruits to granaries or merchant's cargo from city to city,
fast transportation, and the earns cpould afford the cost of a chariot, imagine 2 oxes to cary goods from one city to another, or transport the grain?
think 20 workers in few hectars of land without a charriot, to gather the grain and transport to safe place (city grannary) and the same with an ox charriot!!!!!!
why not mounted?
That is still not understood,
WHY STEPPE PEOPLE DID NOT RIDE THE HORSE AS MILLENIUMS LATER THE SCYTHIANS, AND USE CHARRIOTS?
A horse and a composite bow is just perfect compound for a steppe dweller? Yet we find steppe people first to ride charriots and then the horse,
All the above (at least for me) give the following
Charriot was invented by Messopotamians (they knew the wheel) as a transport, probably driven by oxes,
then when merchandise with steppe people become prosperous, they replace oxes with horses,
when they realise the power, they turn it to a war machine in the hands of Kings or wealthy Noble,
just compare it with the story of pony express in 18th century US (from pioneers to caravans to pony express to railway)
anyway CHARRIOT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IE EXPANSION (at least in Europe)
ty
