The Book

the Muğan plain, and turned eastern Transcaucasia into their centre of operations in West Asia until the
early 6th century BC,[44][45][46][43][47][48][49] with this presence in West Asia being an extension of the
Scythian kingdom of the steppes.[19]

The earliest Scythians had belonged to the Srubnaya culture, and, archaeologically, the Scythian
movement into Transcaucasia is attested in the form of a migration of a section of the Srubnaya culture,
called the Srubnaya-Khvalynsk culture, to the south till the northern foothills of the Caucasus
Mountains, and then further south along the western coast of the Caspian Sea into Transcaucasia and
Iran.[63][43][75]

Although the Early Scythians initially belonged to a pre-Scythian archaeological culture of Central Asian
origin,[76][19] their original Srubnaya culture which contained significant admixture from the Andronovo
culture evolved into the Scythian culture from coming in contact with the peoples of Transcaucasia and
the Urartians,[63] and further contacts with the civilisation of West Asia, and especially with that
of Mesopotamia, would also have an important influence on the formation of Scythian culture.[41][42] The
Scythians were still a Bronze Age society until the late 8th century BC, and it was only when they
expanded into West Asia that they became acquainted with iron smelting and forging.[77]

During this period, the Scythian kings' headquarters were located in the Ciscaucasian steppes, and this
presence in Transcaucasia influenced Scythian culture: the akīnakēs sword and socketed bronze
arrowheads with three edges, which, although they are considered as typically "Scythian weapons,"
were in fact of Transcaucasian origin and had been adopted by the Scythians during their stay in the
Caucasus.[78][47] Alternatively, the typical Scythian arrowheads might have originated in Siberia during the
9th century BC[68][69] and was introduced into West Asia by the Scythians.[68]

Eurasia around 600 BC, showing location of the Scythians

and other steppe nations The Assyrian king Esarhaddon