Ethnocynology with David Ian Howe27 Sep 2025

Horses (Part 2) | Horses in Early Contact North America with Cassidee Thornhill - Ep 24

In this episode of Ethnocynology with David Ian Howe, I sit down with my good friend and former graduate school cohort member Cassidee Thornhill, Collections Manager at the University of Wyoming Archaeological Repository.

Cassidee’s research dives into the early contact era in Wyoming, focusing on the arrival and spread of horses before and during European colonization. We discuss her fascinating thesis work on the Black’s Fork River site, where a young foal was found buried alongside three coyote skulls—an extraordinary archaeological discovery that sheds light on early human–horse relationships on the Plains.

Topics we cover include:

The Black’s Fork horse burial and its cultural significance
Early radiocarbon dates showing horses in Wyoming decades before the Pueblo Revolt
Evidence of early veterinary care and human–horse bonds
How horses transformed Native economies, sovereignty, and resistance
Genetic research linking early horses in the Americas to Spanish (and later British) stock
The broader story of how horses reshaped Indigenous life across the Plains

Cassidee also shares her perspective on whether horses or dogs have been more influential in human history—a big question we love to ask on this show.

This episode is the extended interview version you won’t find on YouTube—perfect for listeners who want the full deep dive into Cassidee’s groundbreaking work.

Transcripts

For a rough transcript head over to: https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/ethnocynology/24

Links:

ArchPodNet

APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com
APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet
APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet
APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet
APN Shop

Affiliates

Motion

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(47)

Nature is Not Metal with Bradley Rydholm - Ep 39

In this episode of Ethnocynology, David sits down with Bradley Rydholm of Nature Is Not Metal to discuss animal cognition, ecology, and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Bradley shares t...

20 Juni 39min

Argos, the Odyssey, and dogs in popular Media with Dr. Alyce Cannon - Ep 38

In this episode of Ethnocynology, David chats with friend of the show Dr. Alyce Cannon, who is an expert in classics and dogs in the classical world. The discussion begins with an overview of Alyce’s ...

6 Juni 55min

10 Dog Archaeology Questions Answered - Ep 37

In this Q&A episode of Ethnocynology, David answers listener questions about dogs, archaeology, human evolution, and the ancient past. From whether Neanderthals had dogs, to why humans mourn dogs so d...

23 Maj 30min

Women for Wolves with Anjali Ranadive - Ep 36

In this episode of Ethnocynology, David has a deep discussion with Anjali Ranadive. Anjali Ranadive is a wildlife conservationist and founder of Women for Wolves, a California-based nonprofit and wolf...

9 Maj 1h 11min

New Dog Studies and New Dog Course! - Ep 35

With two new dog genetic and archaeological studies in the news, David briefly overviews his thoughts on them before he interviews the researchers in the coming Episodes. One was found in Britain, and...

11 Apr 28min

Monte Verde Discussion Panel with Drs. Shane Miller, Spencer Pelton, Jesse Tune, and Carlton Gover - Ep 34

In this episode of Ethnocynology, David hosts a panel of guests, including Drs. Shane Miller, Spencer Pelton, Jesse Tune, and Carlton Gover, to discuss the recent Monte Verde paper by Surovell et al. ...

28 Mars 1h 4min

BREAKING NEWS - Monte Verde is no longer a pre-Clovis site, with Dr. Todd Surovell - Ep 33

For decades, Monte Verde in southern Chile has been one of the most famous archaeological sites in the Americas. The site was widely accepted as 14,500 years old, making it one of the strongest pieces...

23 Mars 48min

The Anthropology of Tattooing with Aaron Deter-Wolf - Ep 32

In this episode, David sits down in Nashville with archaeologist Aaron Deter-Wolf, a leading researcher in the archaeology of tattooing and co-editor of Ancient Ink: The Archaeology of Tattooing. They...

14 Mars 1h 10min