Mongolia has a long and rich history as an ancient land with successive empires dating back thousands of years. It was home to many paleontological discoveries and ancient nomadic cultures that practiced horse-riding and left behind artifacts like deer stones. Mongolia saw the rise and fall of empires like the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Rouran Khaganate, Göktürks, Uyghur Khaganate, Khitans of the Liao Dynasty, and the Khamag Mongol confederation, which eventually united under Genghis Khan to form the vast Mongol Empire in the 13th century. The Mongol Empire at its height connected the Eastern and Western worlds through the