ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Botai culture

Okay kiddo, let me tell you about Botai culture. A long, long time ago, before we had supermarkets or cars, people had to rely on hunting animals and gathering plants for food.

The Botai people were a group of people who lived in what is now modern-day Kazakhstan. They were special because they were some of the first people to learn how to tame and ride horses!

Now, you might be wondering why horses are such a big deal. Well, horses are very helpful animals. They can carry people and heavy things, and they can run very fast. Because of this, the Botai people were able to travel farther and hunt more efficiently because they could ride on their horses.

But the Botai people didn't just use horses for transportation. They also used them for food. They were some of the first people to figure out how to milk a mare (a female horse) for her milk. They would drink the milk or make cheese out of it.

In addition to being great at horseback riding and horse milk farming, the Botai people were also skilled at making art. They made beautiful clay figurines that look like horses and other animals. They might have used these figurines in religious ceremonies or just for decoration.

Sadly, the Botai culture didn't last forever. They eventually disappeared, and we're not exactly sure why. But their legacy lives on, and we still use horses for transportation and food today thanks to their innovative ways.