Was their strength based only on meat and milk? Contrary to popular belief, it was not just a typical nomad diet that formed the basis of life for the legendary Mongols: a study shows the importance of millet cultivation in the emergence of the first great empires of these North Asian equestrian peoples.
The inhabitants of the steppe became major powers for the first time from around 200 BC. The empire of the Xiongnu spread far beyond today’s Mongolia and controlled a large area in northern Asia until around 150 AD. The importance of this first great empire emerges from sources of the Chinese empire, which often came into conflict with its northern neighbor. In the Middle Ages another glorious era broke out for the steppe peoples: from around 1200 AD the feared equestrian troops of Genghis Khan conquered huge areas. The Mongolian empire then dominated China and large parts of today’s Asia until around 1400 AD.
Mysterious prehistory of the Mongol empires
What was at the beginning of the development of these great empires is unclear, because only a few traces remained in the steppe, which allow conclusions to be drawn about the culture, the economic system and the diet of the original equestrian peoples. Since the cultivation of grain only accounts for a small part of today’s food production in Mongolia, it was long assumed that this was the case before. It seemed that the empires of the Asian equestrian peoples were unique examples of societies that could produce a comparatively large population and complex political structures without the need for intensive agriculture or stockpiling of grain. However, the results of the current study question this common picture.
In order to gain insight into the life and diet of the historical Mongols, an international team of researchers examined samples of 137 skeletal finds from the Mongolian steppe. They cover the period from 4400 BC. AD to 1300 AD. The scientists analyzed the ratio of stable nitrogen isotopes and carbon isotopes in bone collagens and the tooth enamel of human remains. Based on certain patterns in the test results, it is possible to draw conclusions about the diet of the people of that time.
An important factor in millet cultivation
As the researchers report, the results showed significant changes in nutrition in the run-up to the development of the Mongolian empires. Before this era, the typical Mongolian diet was actually based on milk and meat as well as on small amounts of plant-based food. However, the scientists found that from the time of the Xiongnu Empire, some Mongolians of this time still lived similarly to their ancestors , in others, however, millet was a staple. These results coincide with some archaeological evidence of agricultural production in the steppe.
As the researchers report, an increasing increase in people’s grain consumption became apparent in the period that followed. The extensive supply of this food finally marked the beginning of the development of the famous Mongol Empire of the Khans around 1200 AD. The scientists also found a characteristic distribution pattern: the closer people lived to the centers of the rich, the bigger was the importance of millet for their diet. As they explain, this suggests that the Mongol rulers specifically promoted agriculture in the central political regions.
The results therefore make it clear that the development of the steppe empires in Mongolia was based on a diversified economy, which also included the local or regional production of grain, the scientists explain. “The systems were similar to those of most other empires: people tried to build up a crisis-proof surplus of resources – in this case, agricultural products such as millet,” says senior author Patrick Roberts from the Max Planck Institute for the History of Mankind in Jena. His colleague Nicole Boivin adds: “The study now improves the understanding of the economic foundation of one of the most famous great empires in the old world.”
Source: Technical article: Scientific Reports, doi: 10.1038 / s41598-020-60194-0
Caption: The Mongols were notorious for their powerful armies.