A number of studies from the archeological and literary fields have confirmed the presence of light-boned, flowing-maned horse populations of various colors in Central Asia during the first millennium before the Common Era (BCE).

There is also evidence of horses phenotypically similar to the modern Akhal-Teke horse breed existing in Central Asia between 1000 and 100 BCE. Ancient kings often described such horses as “superior.” Breeders likely favored new mutations in phenotypic feral traits from the early days of domestication, and they may have been subject to directional selection.

The popularity of horses during ancient times is evidenced by them being featured in numerous artworks. For instance, a popular work of art mentioned in the Museum Journal published by the University of Pennsylvania is a bronze statuette of a horse crafted during the Late Hellenistic period.



Illustration of a bronze statuette of a horse from the 2nd century BCE.

Despite various genomic studies having been performed, iconography remains an important source of information regarding the conformation of ancient horses. A famous example here is a bronze finial in the shape of a horse from Ancient Central Asia.



The Heavenly Horse. Ceremonial bronze finial with standing horse, 4th-1st century BCE.

This ceremonial bronze finial with standing horse is an artifact from the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. As the Scythians came into contact with the Greeks in the Greco-Bactrian kingdom, artists from the two cultures influenced each other.

The bronze finial has much in common with the famous Scythian gold artifacts found thousands of kilometers to the west on the banks of the Bosphorus and the Chersonese, although a high degree of cultural syncretism characterizes the bronze finial. Hellenistic cultural and artistic influences can be seen in many aspects of the horse sculpture, which can be attributed to the existence of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. This demonstrates the richness of the cultural influences in the Bactria area at the time.

The bronze horse has a refined head, a swan-like neck, a slim body, and a deep chest, and it is sitting atop the finial with its long legs stretched out. The artwork combines Scythian and Hellenistic elements. The horse’s long mane is depicted in the Hellenistic style, while its ribs are presented in the anatomical style. During the Hellenistic period, the styles of sculptures ranged from the anatomical style to the naturalistic and realistic styles. An ancient Hellenistic pattern is also featured on the base of the finial.

The bronze finial with horse is a clear example of the animal style of art. The animal style typical of Scythian culture is associated with a rich variety of plastics as well as the symmetry of composite solutions. Artefacts such as the finial were mounted on shafts and buildings for ritual purposes. The rulers of the Scythian commonly used finials for ceremonies dedicated to the cult of Heavenly Horses when traveling, attending festivals, and even horse racing.

Archeologists and researchers have long been attracted to Scythian artworks due to their conventional stylization of details and appropriate elements. At the same time, such artworks demonstrate a high degree of accuracy and reflect the highly artistic approach of the Scythian animal style.

The Scythian culture gave rise to artifacts that are now recognized as masterpieces of ancient art. The various representations of horses in these artworks indicate how important they were to Scythian culture.

Artworks such as the bronze finial depict stronger and bigger horses, which reveals the presence of cross-breeding. After cross-breeding, the new horses were highly valued due to their graceful and elegant appearance. The breeders also valued animals that exhibited endurance and speed.

These new horses have been described as being much faster and stronger than the typical Chinese and Mongolian horse breeds. Indeed, the “heavenly” horses were fast and light.

Jonathan Tao, a research historian from the University of Chicago, author of Heavenly Horses of Bactria: The Creation of the Silk Road, has stated that the bronze finial should be identified with an ancestor of the modern Akhal-Teke horse breed, a descendant of the “heavenly horses” acquired from Central Asia during the War of the Heavenly Horses.

The War of the Heavenly Horses (or the Han-Dayuan War) was a military conflict fought from 104 BCE to 102 BCE between the Chinese Han dynasty and the Scythian-ruled Dayuan which was part of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. The war was fought in the Ferghana Valley at the easternmost end of the former Persian Empire (between modern-day Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan).

More specifically, Dayuan (or Tayuan; Chinese: 大宛; pinyin: Dàyuān; literally: “Great Ionians”) was a city-state in the Ferghana Valley in Central Asia, which is described in Chinese historical texts such as the Records of the Grand Historian and the Book of Han. It is also mentioned in accounts written by the famous Chinese explorer Zhang Qian and the numerous ambassadors who followed him into Central Asia in 130 BCE.

The Dayuan people were the descendants of Greek colonists who followed Alexander the Great and settled in Ferghana in 329 BCE. They prospered within the Hellenistic realm of the Seleucids and Greco-Bactrians until they were isolated by the migration of the Scythian people in around 140 BCE. It appears that the name “Yuan” was simply a transliteration of the Sanskrit terms “Yavana” or “Pali Yona,” which were used throughout antiquity in Asia to designate Greeks (or Ionians). This indicates that “Dayuan” was used to refer to “Great Ionians” or “Great Greeks.”

By 100 BCE, the Dayuan people had been defeated by the Han dynasty in the Han-Dayuan War. This interaction between the Dayuan people and the Chinese is historically crucial, as it represents one of the first major instances of contact between an urbanized Western civilization and the Chinese civilization. As such, it helped to pave the way for the development of the Silk Road, which linked the East and the West in terms of both material and cultural exchange from the 1st century BCE through to the 15th century.

Thus, the role of horses in the development of Chinese civilization is hugely significant. Due to understanding the strategic importance of horse breeding, the Han empire was able to continue the development of its civilization. Through the use of elite breeds of horses, the art of warfare was modernized, which made it possible to adequately respond to raids by neighboring nomadic civilizations.

The significance of the role of the horse is clearly reflected in the works of art of the Han period. The bronze finial of the horse belongs to those times when Han began to spread its influence in the territory of Ancient Central Asia, where the nomadic civilization challenged them. It was necessary to obtain an important military and strategic resource – the best horses, ready to compete with the cavalry of nomads.

Ferghana "heavenly" horses belong to one of the world's earliest known cultural breeds of racehorses, a fast and light Eastern type, perfectly suited for cavalry. They are the ancestors of all the best Asian horse breeds: Arabian, Turkmen (Akhal-Teke), and Kyrgyz.

Even allowing for the inevitable cross-breeding experiments over centuries and the blending of bloodlines since the time of Herodotus, the Akhal-Teke horse breed has retained the main features described by historians since ancient times, of which the bronze finial is proof.

"The Akhal-Teke is the first pureblood horse in history; it is the direct ancestor of the English thoroughbred," said Jonathan Maslow, author of Sacred Horses. The artifact can serve as proof of this belief.