A zooarchaeological study on the new evidence of sacrificial horses from Iron Age burial 15 in the Kalasu cemetery, Xinjiang, China

This research presents age class and gender ratio for 13 horses from burial 15 of the Kalasu cemetery in Habahe County, Aletai Region, Xinjiang, western China. Through the identification of horse age and gender and examination of abnormalities revealed on teeth, vertebrae, and limb bones, the authors analyzed possible strategies practiced by prehistoric society for the selection of horses for burials and also confirmed the evidence of horseback riding shown on skeletal morphologies. By zooarchaeological research at the first time in this area, this research provides important evidence for horse exploitation strategies of nomads in the early Iron Age in northern Xinjiang, China.