古代亚洲的驯马、乘马与游战族群

驯马史滥觞于新石器晚期的亚洲草原,当时的草原住民为了取得肉乳,遂由猎马逐步发展为畜养马匹。至青铜时代,随着草原人口的不断扩展而形成新的族群,他们出于战争和迁徙的需要,开始将马匹当作交通和战争的工具,马的使用从而有了新的方向。公元前2000—前1600年间,只有少数特殊的"游战族群"(nomads)才掌握驭使马匹的技术。青铜时代的马政与贩马贸易,一方面促使马车向外传播,另一方面也促进了民族流动。从人类掌握驾马技术起,原本各地相对独立的历史才逐渐转变为互相沟通的世界史。殷商文明处于亚洲驾马历史的早期阶段,此时掌握马车的族群即是殷商王族。从亚洲历史的角度观察殷商文明,或许可以更进一步理解其文明成分的来源。

Horse Training,Horse Riding and Nomads in Ancient Asia

The domestication of the horse can be traced back to the Late Neolithic Age in the Asian steppes.In order to get milk and meat,the steppe people changed their habits from hunting horses to rearing them.In the Bronze Age,with the emergence of new communities as a result of population explosion,people’s need to migrate and engage in warfare meant that they began to use horses for transport and fighting.This marks a shift in the use of the horse.During the period between 2000 BC and 1600 BC,only a few particular "nomads" mastered the technique of using horses.In the Bronze Age,horse management and trading promoted the spread of horse-drawn vehicles,and with them,the movement of peoples.From the day when man first mastered the technique of horse riding,local histories that were previously independent became merged into an interconnected world history.The Yin and Shang civilizations were situated at an early stage in the use of the horse,and those who possessed horse-drawn vehicles then were members of the royal family.A look at the Yin and Shang civilizations from a macro-level Asian history perspective may well provide us with some insights on the sources of elements of their civilization.