The Yamnaya Didn’t Migrate Because of Drought

#Yamnaya #IndoEuropean #AncientDNA #AncientHistory #climatehistory The Yamnaya did not migrate simply because of drought. The real crisis was the breakdown of the steppe’s seasonal rhythm. Using climate data from the Pontic-Caspian steppe, this video explores why the real crisis was the breakdown of seasonal timing: summer pasture weakened, rainfall became more unstable, and winter stress increased. But climate alone was not enough. The Yamnaya were also shaped by an energy revolution based on livestock, dairy, horses, and wagons — along with population growth, herd expansion, patrilineal inheritance, and the rise of landless young warriors. This is the story of how a broken climate rhythm helped unleash one of the most consequential migrations in Eurasian history.