The origin of horses and their contribution to the success of the Vikings

It is known from historical records that the Viking maritime expansion from Scandinavia to western Eurasia, Greenland, and North America was swift and followed by cultural transformations in global history. Yet, despite their historical importance, a fine-scale reconstruction of their migrations is lacking. The horse has been an integral part of Viking and many other cultures since its domestication. Horse domestication revolutionized warfare and accelerated travel, trade, and the geographic expansion of languages. Today, horses remain essential to the economy of developing countries and the leisure and racing industries of developed countries. However, our ignorance of the origin of the domesticated horse leaves many historical, demographic, and epidemiological questions open.

To correctly interpret the paleogenomic data of the Vikings and horses, it is essential to answer two fundamental questions: WHEN and WHERE are they from?

This thesis is divided into four main parts:

1) Developing a novel genetic tool to infer dates and apply it to decipher human and horse ages.

2) Developing a novel genetic tool to infer biogeography and
migration routes and apply it to decipher human and horse migrations.

3) Reconstructing a detailed history of the Vikings while addressing questions
concerning their cultural formation

4) Tracing the genetic origin of modern horse domestication and understanding how they contributed to the success of the Viking culture.