Belt buckle made of bronze; in the shape of a rider horseback. Unearthed at the Treli cemetery [grave 65], Georgia, & dated to the 13th c. BCE ca. It’s considered of the earliest examples of the theme in the area. National Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi, GNM 11-1:73-21 [2048 x 1432]

photo by Carole Raddato in [https://www.flickr.com/photos/carolemage/53344307212/](https://www.flickr.com/photos/carolemage/53344307212/)

It’s interesting that the early Indo-European migrations (c. 3200-2600 BC, the Yamnaya culture and its descendants) brought herds of horses, but seemingly did not ride them or even use them as draught animals. Maybe they were used as pack animals but mostly for meat and milk?

Then about 1000 years later, you have the advent of the war chariot from the proto-Indo-Iranians (c. 2200-1900, BC Sintashta) that sweeps the bronze age world with storm. The horse breeds that spread with the usage chariot replace all previous horse breeds that the Yamnaya brought with them.

Then, many centuries later, towards the end of the bronze age and the beginning of the Iron age, seems to be the point when people start riding horses directly, instead of riding a chariot strapped behind a pair of them.

He’s holding the sword either because it flops too much when the horse is going fast, or he’s in battle mode– close to the enemy and about to pull it out and use it.

Just my guess.

The more I look at it, the more animated it is. There’s motion. The designer knew what they were doing.

Stunning.