Botai Culture

The Botai Culture is the archeological term for a culture (c. 3700-3100 BC) of ancient Kazakhstan. It was named after the settlement of Botai in Aqmola Province of Kazakhstan. The Botai culture has two other large sites: Krasnyi Yar, and Vasilkovka.

The site of Botai is located on the Iman-Burluk River, a tributary of the Ishim River. The site has at least 153 pithouses. The settlement was partly destroyed by the steeply eroding river bank which is still occurring and by management of the wooded area.

The occupations of the Botai people were connected to their horses. Many researchers state that horses were domesticated right here by the Botai. It was once thought that most of the horses in evidence were probably the wild species, Equus ferus, hunted with bows, arrows and harpoons. However, evidence reported in 2009 for pottery containing mare's milk and of horse bones with telltale signs of being bred after domestication have demonstrated a much stronger case for the Botai culture as a major user of domestic horses by about 3,500 BC, close to 1,000 years earlier than the previous scientific consensus. This does not necessarily mean they were the first to domesticate horses, but makes them the earlier known candidate.

The pottery of the culture had simple shapes. Most of it was gray in color, and it was unglazed. The decorations are geometric, including hatched triangles and rhombs as well as step motifs. Punctates and circles were also used as decorative motifs.

Current research is being conducted by Alan Outram of Exeter University in association with other institutes Bristol university (UK), Winchester university (UK) and Kokstetau university (KZ) universities and the Carnegie Museum. Along with students, Outram conducted a magnetometer survey of the Botai site in 2008 and is looking at conducting further research into the Botai culture's role into the development of horse domestication.