Antler and bone Cheekpieces as Horse-control Equipment

Igor V. Chechushkov - South Ural State University/Archaeos: experimental archaeology association (Russia) The long-term experimental project aimed to test whether the bridle with Late Bronze Age cheekpieces and soft bits can be used as a horse control device. Antler and bone cheekpieces are dated back to ca. 2000-1500 BCE and are widely known in the steppes of northern Eurasia. In conjunction with the analysis of use-wear, we conducted experimental work with horses in the controlled environment of a riding hall and in the open space of the steppes of the Southern Urals. The horses either worked with riders or were harnessed into a two-wheeled vehicle. The amount of work was sufficient enough to obtain use-wear traces, comparable to those on ancient artifacts. We concluded that antler and bone cheekpieces are efficient control devices that were developed out of a necessity to control swift-running chariot horses. Here, we aim to present our approach to the experimental work, as the scientific results ha