Origin of the Alans

[Alanus]

The Berel Horses: Conformation, Height, & Relationship to Modern Breeds. Part 3

Glad you enjoyed the pics, Robert.

Now we can look at the mtDNA of Berel horses. First, I should mention that the genetic makeup of modern breeds and ancient ones (including the Berel examples) has no relationship to the DNA of Przwewalski's horse (Equus przwalskii). Recently, Li Liu and Xingcan Chen have tried to connect this wild strain to various sites in Neolithic China, their premise being that E. przzwalskii was "probably" tamed, based on bones of this sub-species found in numerous graves. They dedicate five pages to their argument without showing archaeological proof of any artifacts connected to pulling or riding... during a period (I might add) prior to any evidence of solid or spoked wheels, horse bits, or cheekpieces. If the Chinese rode horses before the steppe people did, they accomplished it through their wild imagination. (see Liu and Chen; The Archaeology of China, Cambridge, 2012, pp 111-115)

We turn to Keyser et al. for real facts (as opposed to fake facts) about the horses discovered by Samashev and Francfort in Berel kurgan 11. The coat colors of the Chieftain's horses are as follows: 1 multi-colored, 1 tan, 2 chestnut, and 3 bays. The colors of his consort's horses were 1 black, 1 bay, and 4 chestnut.

Of the chieftain's 7 horses-- "BER10 [a bay], BER11 [a chestnut] and BER13 [another bay] were grouped in [mt]haplogroup C with horses from modern breeds (Lusitano, Cleveland Bay, Andalusian, Losino, Argentinean-Creole, Peruvian Paso, Shetland, Connemara, Lipizzan and Exmoor) as well as with ancient ones (Akhal-Teke, Swedish horse from the late Viking Age and Pleistocene specimens." 

They add, "...some complete matches were observed with Chinese Guanzhong and Tuva horses as well as the Anatolian horses." This follows a known prehistorical pattern linked to the Yamnaya Culture (and in turn, the Afanasievo and Andronovo Cultures).

For more, and somewhat enlightening info on two of the chieftain's geldings mentioned above, we turn to Librado et al., April 2017. "Only BER10 and BER11 were related. They showed the same mitochondrial haplotype but with different Y chromosomes. These two horses might represent appreciated members of valuable pedigrees... Inbreeding coefficieants were close to zero, as opposed to all present-day horses tested, which suggests that Scythian reproductive management did not disrupt natural herd structures, in contrast with current practice... and reveals a large diversity of domestic male founders taking part in early domestication."

Finally, Librado and asscociates stress that Scythian horses were far healthier than modern breeds, the unfortunate result of a limited stud-base imposed for purity, gait, height, and speed. As a result of limited Y DNA, modern breeds are prone to genetic diseases, including acute colic and dementia. In conclusion, it appears that the Berel and other Pazyryk breeders were doing something right.