Somebody said that the Mongols didn't have stirrups. In the exhibit we saw, the model horse certainly had stirrups on the saddle. I looked specifically. And that was a Quidan horse, from around 800 AD.
I suppose you could spell Quidan several ways. The exhibit portrayed them as a very widespread group, largely north of China and wanting in badly.
I think the Gobi has always been a desert. Deserts tend to exist at 30 degrees north and south lattitude, due to global rainfall patterns. The Gobi is also in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. However, I'm sure that grazing by sheep hasn't helped it much. Actually, most of the steppe folks live north of the Gobi, in the healthy (for now) grasslands.
Check out "Close to Eden", a recent French film about a modern Mongol family and a Russian visitor. It's funny and informative. It's available in video in the US, at least. You too can learn how to slaughter a sheep without spilling a drop of blood!
Pam
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