[THREAD]

Sintashta/Andronovo chariot technology

The earliest spoke-wheeled chariot remains were discovered at a Sintashta site dated to 2000 BC. Sintashta (2100-1800 BC) was succeeded by Andronovo (1800-900 BC). Both groups were genetically the same people and credited with inventing and spreading the chariot

Traditional wagons had hitherto made wheels out of solid tree trunks, thus moving at a pace slower than human walking speed. The chariot was infinitely more complex, and became the super weapon of the day

Chariots required many advanced expertise and materials to create and maintain this technology: such as highly trained domesticated horses, drivers, archers, bent-wood joinery and metallurgy

The two-wheeled chariot was extremely light weight and could be lifted with one hand. It was so delicate that, when not in use, it had to be placed on an axle-rest to avoid bending and deforming the rims. The wheels could be removed all together when in storage

The chariot’s primary function was for warfare (or hunting), not for royal display. However, after years of heroic tales involving chariots the royals associated it as a symbol for prestige

The chariot was designed for high speed so naturally it became a racing exercise for sport. Chariot races took place at the Hippodrome as late as the 13th century

It was essentially a mobile archery platform, one driver and one shooter; some Near Eastern models used a third man as a shield-bearer. They were used in hit-and-run techniques to wear down the enemy through a game of attrition

When the Indo Iranian & Indo Aryan split happened they became enemies almost instantly, with the former taking control of Central Asia and pushing the Indic speakers to the periphery in every direction: Mesopotamia, China, India, even Levant

Source:
https://www.amazon.com/Empires-Silk-Road-History-Central/dp/0691150346/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KAFT9MZ7CI25&dchild=1&keywords=empires+of+the+silk+road&qid=1602113853&sprefix=Empires+of+the+silk%2Caps%2C210&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/Horse-Wheel-Language-Bronze-Age-Eurasian/dp/069114818X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=34GPJR9ICIB1S&dchild=1&keywords=horse+wheel+language&qid=1602113934&s=books&sprefix=Horse+whee%2Caps%2C220&sr=1-1

https://www.reddit.com/r/AncientCivilizations/comments/g6w2xe/the_sintashta_and_andronovo_cultures_were/

https://erenow.net/ancient/the-horse-the-wheel-and-language/15.php