The Cultures of Pontic-Caspian Steppe: Birthplace of Horse Riding and Early Metallurgy

In this video, we will be looking at the prehistoric people who lived in the Pontic-Caspian Steppe, and how their horse riding culture and their innovativeness contributed to the development of human civilization. We talk about how this region played a pivotal role in the development of human civilization. Contrary to its appearance, this landscape was a powerhouse of early human innovation and cultural development. As pointed out by the historian David Graeber in his book "The Dawn of Everything", we should abandon the notion of a unilinear evolution of societies. In this video, we explore the prehistoric peoples who inhabited this steppe and their remarkable contributions to the advancement of human civilization.

0:00 - introduction to the pontic-caspian steppe
0:31 - climate, geographical extents and the lifestyles of the pontic steppe
1:43 - Dnieper-Donets Culture
2:06 - Yamnaya culture
3:49 - Catacomb Culture
4:07 - Srubnaya Culture
4:45 - The Scythians
6:36 - Anacharsis,one of the seven sages and philosopher
7:39 - non linear paths to civilizations



This video is not sponsored by any means, however, if you are interested in David Graeber's book "The Dawn of Everything" that I mentioned in the video, you can get a copy from the link in the description.
https://amzn.to/3C1c4wA

Even though not mentioned in the video, the book "The Horse, the Wheel, and Language" by David W. Anthony is also a great read osn the topic of the horse and its impact on human civilization.
https://amzn.to/3YvIiHT

image sources:
petroglyphs depiction of the chariots: https://indo-european.eu/wp-content/u...

map showing the trade routes:
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10....