ASTANA - A Kazakh-American archaeological expedition launched new excavations at the Krasny Yar settlement in Akmola Region on May 20 to uncover fresh evidence about the domestication of horses and cattle, a key moment in the development of human civilization, Kazinform reported.
The project is led by Sergei Zakharov, the senior researcher at Margulan Institute of Archaeology, and Taylor Hermes, a paleogenetics expert and PhD from the University of Arkansas, with the participation of students from the United States, Kokshetau, and Astana.
"The issue of horse domestication continues to excite the minds of the scientific community," said Zakharov. "Recent genetic research showed that Botai horses are ancestors of the wild Przewalski's horse. This has raised the question of whether the Botai horse is domestic."
The expedition will focus on bone analysis from both horses and cattle to distinguish between wild aurochs and domesticated animals. Tools, ceramics, and dwelling layouts will be studied on-site in Kazakhstan, while samples requiring laboratory analysis, including nitrogen and oxygen isotope analysis, genetic research, and radiocarbon dating, will be processed at the University of Arizona.
Discovered in 1986, Krasny Yar has been the subject of multiple national and international studies. Yet, researchers believe it still holds many unexplored secrets.
"If we find the bones of the aurochs, this will raise the question: was it found here or was it brought from other territories. We will use strontium analysis to understand in what area these animals were born and raised," Zakharov added.