Void
11-16-2014, 07:20 PM
Indo Europeans couldn't have taken over the entire European continent without a serious advantage. The only thing I can think of that would give this advantage would be the domestication of the horse, which occurred in West Asia around 5000 BC, exactly where one would expect R1a and R1b to be at that time.
Climate change (drop in temperature) would have pushed R1 tribes into the Middle East and North Africa around 4000 BC. Climate change (rise in temperature + desertification of the Sahara) would have forced them to move back north around 3000 BC. With the aid of horses they would have been able to conquer most of Europe with the exception of mountainous regions and islands.
R1a would have moved back to the Siberian plains and into Northern Europe. R1b would have moved through Anatolia into Southern Europe.
Horseback riding also allowed the city-state to develop into a nation state. The first large nation that comes to mind would be Egypt which would resemble early Rome, where the men of the dominant tribe are the soldiers and the men of the subdued tribes are the workers. Egypt had a navel fleet which would have allowed them to conquer Spain, Ireland, and England. Ireland would have been interesting to them due to the availability of copper.
Climate change (drop in temperature) would have pushed R1 tribes into the Middle East and North Africa around 4000 BC. Climate change (rise in temperature + desertification of the Sahara) would have forced them to move back north around 3000 BC. With the aid of horses they would have been able to conquer most of Europe with the exception of mountainous regions and islands.
R1a would have moved back to the Siberian plains and into Northern Europe. R1b would have moved through Anatolia into Southern Europe.
Horseback riding also allowed the city-state to develop into a nation state. The first large nation that comes to mind would be Egypt which would resemble early Rome, where the men of the dominant tribe are the soldiers and the men of the subdued tribes are the workers. Egypt had a navel fleet which would have allowed them to conquer Spain, Ireland, and England. Ireland would have been interesting to them due to the availability of copper.