Sex identification from fragmentary archeozoological assemblages is particularly challenging in the Equid family, including for horses, donkeys and their hybrids. This limitation has precluded in-depth investigations of sex-ratio variation in various temporal, geographic and social contexts. Recently, shallow DNA sequencing has offered an economical solution to equine sex determination, even in environments where DNA preservation conditions is not optimal. In this study, we applied state-of-the-art methods in ancient DNA-based equine sex determination to 897 osseous remains in order to assess whether equal proportions of males and females could be found in a range of archeological contexts in France. We found Magdalenian horse hunt not focused on isolated bachelors, and Upper Paleolithic habitats and natural traps equally balancing sex ratios. In contrast, Iron Age sacrificial rituals appeared to have been preferentially oriented to male horses and this practice extended into the Roman Period. During Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Modern Period, cities emerged as environments largely dominated by horse males. This strong sex-bias was considerably reduced, and sometimes even absent, in various rural contexts. Combined with previous archaeozoological work and textual evidence, our results portray an urban economy fueled by adult, often old, males, and rural environments where females and subadults of both sexes were maintained to sustain production demands.

从零碎的考古动物群落中进行性别鉴定在马科动物中尤其具有挑战性，包括马、驴及其杂交种。这种限制阻碍了对各种时间、地理和社会背景下的性别比例变化的深入调查。最近，即使在 DNA 保存条件不是最佳的环境中，浅层 DNA 测序也为马性别确定提供了一种经济的解决方案。在这项研究中，我们对 897 具骨骼遗骸应用了基于古代 DNA 的马性别鉴定的最先进方法，以评估在法国的一系列考古环境中是否可以找到相同比例的男性和女性。我们发现 Magdalenian 的猎马并不专注于孤立的单身汉，旧石器时代晚期的栖息地和自然陷阱同样平衡了性别比例。相比之下，铁器时代的祭祀仪式似乎更倾向于公马，这种做法一直延续到罗马时期。在古代、中世纪和现代时期，城市出现了主要由雄性马主宰的环境。在各种农村环境中，这种强烈的性别偏见大大减少，有时甚至不存在。结合以前的考古动物学工作和文本证据，我们的结果描绘了由成年人（通常是老年人）男性和农村环境推动的城市经济，在这些环境中，维持了男女的女性和亚成年人以维持生产需求。城市出现在主要由雄性马主宰的环境中。在各种农村环境中，这种强烈的性别偏见大大减少，有时甚至不存在。结合以前的考古动物学工作和文本证据，我们的结果描绘了由成年人（通常是老年人）男性和农村环境推动的城市经济，在这些环境中，维持了男女的女性和亚成年人以维持生产需求。城市出现在主要由雄性马主宰的环境中。在各种农村环境中，这种强烈的性别偏见大大减少，有时甚至不存在。结合以前的考古动物学工作和文本证据，我们的结果描绘了由成年人（通常是老年人）男性和农村环境推动的城市经济，在这些环境中，维持了男女的女性和亚成年人以维持生产需求。