Approximately half of the world's population speaks languages that trace their origins to a common ancestor - the Proto-Indo-European language. But who were the speakers of this ancient dialect and how did they manage to spread across the globe? Until recently, their identity remained a mystery to linguists and archaeologists. The Horse, the Wheel and the Language tells how the domestication of the horse and the use of the wheel by the early Indo-Europeans contributed to the spread of their language and transformed civilization. Linking archaeological finds to the development of language, David Anthony argues that the speakers of Proto-Indo-European were the steppe tribes of ancient Central Eurasia, whose innovations in the use of oxcarts, horse riding, and war chariots transformed the Eurasian steppe into a thriving transcontinental corridor of trade and cultural exchange. He explains how the steppe people spread their traditions and achieved significant success in copper mining, warfare, and the formation of the political institution of the clientele. The Horse, the Wheel and the Tongue solves the mystery of the origin of the Indo-European languages that has puzzled scholars for two centuries, and reconstructs a vibrant and influential civilization of antiquity.