A horse culturally shaped as a donkey. aDNA analysis on equid remains from Khirbet al-Batrawy: on horses, donkeys and trade in the Early Bronze Age Southern Levant

This study investigates the role and management of equids in the Early Bronze Age Southern Levant, with a focus on Khirbet al-Batrawy. It presents the results from an ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis conducted by the Molecular Anthropology/Paleogenetic Unit of the Laboratory of Anthropology in the University of Florence, on a horse specimen (Equus ferus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) from the site, offering new insights on the region’s early presence of horses. As horses are quite rare in the archaeological record of the Southern Levant, especially prior the Late Bronze Age (1550-1200 BC) and the advent of chariot warfare, the aDNA analysis contributes to the current debate on horse presence, management and domestication in the Southern Levant, prompting a reflection on Khirbet al-Batrawy’s frequency of equid remains, including horses and donkeys, in relation to the site’s significance as a trade hub, and the possible socio-economic role of these equids within the community.