Exterior Features of Horses of the Scythian Time from the Archaeological Sites of the North Caucasus

Using statistical methods, a comparative morphometric analysis of the bones of the distal limbs of horses from archaeological sites of the 7 th—4 th centuries BC was carried out for the first time for the territory of the North Caucasus, in particular the Ciscaucasia, Central and Northwestern Caucasus. In total, the analysis includes 14 sites, materials from 12 of them are published for the first time. The exterior of the horses is described, and some of its changes over 400 years are revealed. It is shown that along with the general uniformity of animals, there are certain differences between the sites left by different archaeological cultures. However, these ethnocultural features can also be largely due to differences in the ecological and geographical conditions for horse breeding. The limited amount of material does not allow us to confidently assert the presence of directed selection of horses and breed formation in this historical period, to determine the origin of horses from different archaeological cultures. However, the general uniformity of animals may indicate, if not the origin, then at least the significant influence of the Scythian horses on the local population. The paper also discusses some methodological aspects of the study of archaeozoological material.