News Archaeology

The oldest known horseback riding saddle was found in a grave in China

The placement of the more than 2,400-year-old gear suggests its owner was on a final ride

An ancient saddle against a white backdrop with a colorful bar for scale

Scientists have identified the oldest directly dated saddle, shown here from the top, at an ancient cemetery in western China. Radiocarbon measurements indicate that the find, which displays sophisticated stitching techniques, dates from 727 B.C. to 396 B.C.

P. Wertmann et al/Archaeological Research in Asia, 2023

By Bruce Bower

A woman buried more than 2,400 years ago in what’s now northwestern China has galloped into a scientific afterlife atop the earliest directly dated horseback riding saddle.