Re: Alternative histories and paralele universes

On Wed, 6 Jan 1999, Kenji Schwarz wrote:

> I see what you mean, but some examples of widespread language families
> whose speakers didn't have horses come to mind -- Bantu, Algonkian,
> Athapaskan, Eskimo.  I don't know that the lack of horses would have to be
> an absolute hobble (so to speak) for these alternate Indo-Europeans.
>
Not absolutely but I have recently seen a quote that the spread of the
Indo-Europeans was speeded up to ten times faster after the horse-drawn
vehicles complemented oxen-drawn vehicles.  5000 to 6000 years is a
shorter headstart than some American language groups got.  This may have
effected a more sparser population.

Still, no ravaging hoards off the steppes either.

- andrew.

Andrew Smith, Intheologus                       hobbit@earthlight.co.nz
Q. Why are there so many Smiths in the Phone Book?
A. Because they all have telephones!

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