Ancient Chinese Tomb Yields Oldest Leather Saddle on Record

Archaeologists have discovered what may be the oldest known saddle at a cemetery in Yanghai, China. The saddle was found in a tomb for a woman dressed in riding gear and dates back approximately 2,700 years. The saddle was made by creating cushions from cowhide and stuffing them with deer and camel hair along with straw. The researchers suggest that the earliest use of saddles was by people in China and that the more likely purpose of riding horses was to assist with herding animals.