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Scythians

There was a large group of such people between the Black Sea and Central Asia. Scythians were Iranian-speaking nomads. Iran has prominent Neanderthal sites too. Neanderthals emerged circa 300000 years ago. Just before this time Caspian Sea was dry. Water level dropped 30 – 50 metres below present. Just 2 lakes remained. Rising sea could prompt large-scale migration of previous hominids. Wide area to the East from Caspian presented excellent conditions for prehistoric hunters. There were abundant game and fresh water. Rocky desert supplied stone tools. Hominids dwelled hundreds of thousands of years there.

At the other side of the sea, landscape was formed by 2 lengthy processes. Sea level substantially oscillated over millennia. Simultaneously, the mountains of the Greater Caucasus rose. This was a lengthy process which began 30 Ma BCE, sharply increased 5 Ma BCE and 2.5 Ma BCE when hominids emerged, and continues into the 3 millennium CE. Elbrus and Kazbek are volcanoes.

Mount Elbrus viewed from the south in Russia.

Elbrus erupted 200 Ka, then 33, 21, 8, 6, 5 Ka ago, even possibly 2 and 1 Ka ago.

Kazbek, 5047 m.

Kazbek erupted 40 Ka ago. Oscillating sea level plus the rise of mountains created terraces. They may be elevated up to 400 m, but Dagestan has many terraces above this. They are artificial and were created for agriculture in the range from 900 to 2400 m above sea level, that is in cold zone. Human agriculture started here in the 3 or 2 millennium BCE, well after Neanderthals. Nevertheless somebody taught humans how to do it.

Ruins of ancient Vainakh settlement with agricultural terraces behind.

This is remains of terraces in Ingushetia. Mountains are even higher here.

Claims that agriculture began some 10 Ka in South East Anatolia are disputable. Aboriginal tribes of Brazilian rainforest practice a primitive form of agriculture by taking care of local plants. This could start much earlier. At the end of the 20 century, terrain at Gobekli Tepe looked as desert.

Gobekli Tepe.

What could exist in this region – a large-scale cult which taught and disseminated plant cultivation. Foothills of the Caucasus near Caspian sea are also arid, but a narrow strip along the coast hides a miracle. There is true rainforest here. Thick oak trees are intertwined by lianas.

When such strips were elevated to the next stair of the terrace, the forest died and created a thick layer of fertile soil. European Neanderthals were inventors. They tried to create an artificial environment in harsh climate. In Europe it was cold. Here – drought, but mountains can supply water. Find it and you will revive green nature.

As this business grew, they needed slaves. A Mesopotamian legend tells about 2 different peoples of gods: Igigi and Anunnaki. The latter lived on mountains while the former were agricultural workers for them. Imagine a flourishing civilization of Neanderthals and new migrants from green Africa in West Asia. They sought a better life, but found only dry desert. Suddenly, they discover a green patch and the host explains: "You may live here, only must work."

Inundation of the Caspian sea may be the prototype of the Flood Myth. This happened more often than with the Black or Mediterranean seas.

Photograph of the Aras from space.

The Aras river flows just 30 km from mount Ararat and finally reaches the Caspian Sea. In the past, the Black and Caspian seas were connected by the Thanscaucasian strait. Lake Sevan is a remain of this sea. Over time, different parts of this area ascended and descended. A large bay of the Caspian sea existed in place of the Aras valley. The Old Testament doesn't claim that Noah's Arc moored on the summit. Just near, on the mountains of Ararat. The problem is that this was possible only very long ago. How old is our civilization? Noah's arc was not a ship in modern sense. Rather – a floating house. In any case, the Caspian sea had both wood and oil necessary for such job. Flooding of the Caspian basin happened many times. If humans already built wooden houses here, this invention could happen accidentally.

The Gegham mountains separate the Aras valley from lake Sevan.

Relief map of Armenia.

Also they stand between Ararat and lake Sevan. These mountains have the volcanic origin. The most active period was round 200 Ka BCE, that is in the Neanderthal time.

The name of Aryans may be derived from the Aras river. Human culture existed long time here, but later it was not so developed as from the other side of Ararat. Looks like people came here long ago and retained the initial style of life. If Mesopotamia became more advanced than its Eastern neighbour, does it mean that civilization moved from West to East? No. This was a migration of the initial population from Africa much earlier. Instead, civilization emerged in the East, then returned back. The Kura–Araxes culture may be found as far as the North-East Caucasus.

The Zagros mountains are also credited with the emerging of husbandry by domesticating goats. Here large areas are covered by the forest steppe.

Dare Anaran County.

This is the same ecosystem as in South Ural where the Indoeuropean civilization emerged. The wild pistachio is widespread. In the past, mountains were covered by wild fruits. Rare trees stand on the grassland. This is a natural prototype of our gardens.

On the other hand, the Iranian plateau is the homeland for Aryans which have the long history of conquering and ruling other peoples. Scythians are also known as ancestors of many European nations. In the context of the descent from Neanderthals this will be a return to the sources – a well known phenomenon in history of mankind.

Scythians leaved traces of their presence far away from Central Asia both to East and West. They are present now in the names. What was previously known as Yakutia in East Siberia was later renamed into the Republic of Sakha. Their main city is the diamond capital of Russia.

At the opposite side, the Sahara is the largest desert of Africa. They say, it was wet in the distant past, had lakes, a lot of grassland and wild animals. The Sahabi Formation is a geological term about the Sirte Basin in Libya. A large river flowed here in the past.

The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found at Saqqara, northwest of Memphis. The very term of sacred is related too. Religion pays attention to the most important and valuable things. Another prominent event in Egypt was the Hyksos invasion. This name is a clear metathesis to Skyth. If Hyksos were proto-Europeans, this was later confirmed by Alexander of Macedon and the Romans which also came to Egypt, but the most intriguing fact is at the very beginning. A Greek legend tells unbelievable things. The first dynasty of all-mighty Egyptian pharaohs was established by Io – an unknown European priestess.