Origins
See also: Sintashta culture, Srubnaya culture, Andronovo culture, and Scytho-Siberian world
According to archaeological evidence, the Scythians originated in the region of the Volga-Ural steppes
of Central Asia, possibly around the 9th century BC,[60] as a section of the population of the Srubnaya
culture[43][62] containing a significant element originating from the Siberian Andronovo culture.[63] The
population of the Srubnaya culture was among the first truly nomadic pastoralist groups, who
themselves emerged in the Central Asian and Siberian steppes during the 9th century BC as a result of
the cold and dry climate then prevailing in these regions.[55]
Genetic evidence has suggested that Western Scythians may have been closely related to the Srubnaya
culture, however, this does not imply direct continuity from Srubnaya, and the Western Scythians
themselves derived ancestry from other populations, particularly from East Asian sources.[25][64][65]
Early history
During the 9th to 8th centuries BC, a significant movement of the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian
Steppe started when another nomadic Iranic tribe closely related to the Scythians from eastern Central
Asia, either the Massagetae[41] or the Issedones,[66] migrated westwards, forcing the early Scythians to
the west across the Araxes river,[67] following which some Scythian tribes had migrated westwards into
the steppe adjacent to the shores of the Black Sea, which they occupied along with the Cimmerians, who
were also a nomadic Iranic people closely related to the Scythians.[43]
Arzhan kurgan (8-7th century BC)