12-03-2017, 02:37 PM
Alanus wrote: Several recent archaeologists have claimed the Pazyryks lived in the Altai during the winter, an incredulous deduction from someone who has never been to the Altai... even in the summer.
Strange that these archaeologists think that the nomads would spend the winter in freezing conditions with no game or shelter from the biting winds and deep snow covering food sources for their horses and livestock and then spend their summers in the hot dry conditions in extremely dry regions such as the Gobi and Tarim deserts and surrounding regions.
From my understanding Spring in the lowlands are officially February to April but not beginning effectively until late March and is marked by sharp contrasts of warmth and cold and constantly blowing high winds. As a result of the long winters with feeding near starvation levels the horses and livestock are in a wretched condition and things don’t improve till June. The horizontal creases on the hooves of the horses excavated from the Altai tombs are evidence of a long period of winter starvation.
It was not until mid-June and July the herds of horses were moved into the rich green mountain passes and grasslands nourished by rainfall and springs and where the snows had melted at heights of 2600 feet or less, where their herds made up for their long periods of starvation and grew fat. Regards
Michael Kerr
Michael Kerr
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
