Historical dataset of osteological and archaeological records for equines on Crete.

The research is about the historical collection of data regarding equines on the island of Crete from the Neolithic era to 1895, based on archaeological, osteological and written documents. The main objective of this study is to understand the past spread of equids in Crete, their socioeconomic status, and the development of the local Cretan breed.

Research Data Collection

• The researchers accumulated data on the historical occurrence of equines (family of horses, donkeys, zebras etc.) on the island of Crete from the Neolithic era until the year 1895.
• They used a variety of resources for this compilation including published archaeological and osteological records (study of bones) as well as historical written documents.
• Each set of data includes a description of its type, its location, and the associated absolute and relative chronologies.

Objective and Application of Research

• The study aims to investigate the past spread of equids in Crete, examining both the patterns and the turnover rates.
• The dataset also allows researchers to investigate the socioeconomic status of equines in the region during various historical periods.
• Another key objective of this research is to understand the development of the local Cretan breed over different historical periods.

Data Accessibility

• The collected data is made available to the public and researchers via the Abraxas data community within the Pandora data platform.
• This community specialises in the historical study of horses and the shared data will be valuable not only for researchers studying equines but also for those interested in historical, archaeological or socioeconomic studies.
• The dataset created from this research is a part of a larger project that aims at tracing the history of the Cretan horse until the present day.