The Evolution of the Yamnaya Culture

Horses were powerful, fast and controllable combination rarely seen elsewhere in the animal kingdom. Horses could be ridden by humans meaning that both short and long distances could be travelled at speeds unknown to other societies. This enabled Yamnaya peoples to be able to herd larger groups of animals and would enable them to raid at speed. So their influence spread into neighbouring cultures with more lasting impact than by other cultures. But now we have an invaluable DNA study that can help us to both confirm and dispel theories that archaeologists have created to explain the movement of cultures.