Archaeologists working in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia have recovered two exceptionally preserved saddles dating to the early Turkic Khaganate. Revealed by rapidly melting high-altitude ice patches, the saddles feature intact birchwood frames, leather stirrup straps, and decorative iron buckles. This discovery offers a rare look at the equestrian technology that fueled the expansion of nomadic empires across the Steppe.
The extreme cold preserved the organic components that usually rot, including the horsehair padding and silk embroidery on the leather seat. Researchers are racing to survey nearby ice patches before further warming exposes more artifacts to the air, which can cause rapid degradation within days of exposure.