The Sintashta cultural particulars and the origin of the war chariot

Abstract

Two opposing hypothesis regarding the origin of the war chariot exist today. One places its origins in the steppe, while the other considers the vehicle a Middle Eastern development. Since the publishing of Sintashta in 1992, the former has gained considering support, due to the fi nding of spoked wheel imprints in steppe burials, the earliest evidence of its kind. However, it has been argued that the war-chariot is a superfluous artefact in the steppe, partially due to terrain limitations, partially due to the existence of a better alternative, the horse itself. In contrast, in the urban societies of the Middle East, the necessity for fast and reliable means of transportation between different urban centres, and the lack of a proper mount, made the development of new and better vehicles paramount. However, this argument stems from a simplistic approach to the problem. After 2500 B.C., the decrease in overall temperature and an increase in aridity, led to significant change in climate zones. In the steppes east of the Urals, naturally colder and more arid than its western counterpart, this change led to a decrease in marshland, used by pastoralists as winter refuge. This situation prompted groups of pastoralists to settle in key locations in order to preserve access to such resources. The competition for such locations led to a state of endemic conflict. Simultaneously, contact with BMAC urban populations, coupled with the appearance of steppe-like cultures in the Zaravshan river region, led to the development of long range metal trade, which provided the Sintashta settlements with a steady flow of  wealth. This state of affairs provided both the stimulus and the means to the development of the war-chariot, thus rendering the argument of its uselessness in the steppe, void.