arshba.ru

In Bavaria, a burial of 6 heavy cavalrymen, cataphracts, was discovered. The burial dates to 670 AD. 4 of the 6 belonged to haplogroup R1b, two to G2a (the main haplogroup for the Western Caucasus), next to whom were horse burials, sacrificed to the deceased in the Sarmatian manner (head and legs carefully arranged). (Vanek 2009)

Sarmatians — nomadic pastoral Iranian-speaking tribes of the late Early Iron Age (6th—4th centuries BC), inhabiting the steppe regions from the Trans-Volga Urals to the watershed of the Tisza and Danube 'Iazyges-Metanastae'. (Ptolemy. "Geography." 3, 5.)

According to some researchers, the Sarmatians, under the name "Sauromatians," are first mentioned by Herodotus, who reported that "if one crosses the Tanais River (modern Don), then it is no longer Scythian land, but the region of the Sauromatians." According to N. Lysenko, "from the time of the compilation of the world map by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (1st century BC), the ethnonyms 'Sauromatians' and 'Sarmatians' were used as synonyms." Ancient authors included among the Sarmatians: the Aorsi, Iazyges, Siraces, Alans, Roxolani, and Saii.

Herodotus reported that the Sarmatians descend from the Amazons, who married Scythian youths, who together with their wives moved "to the east of Tanais at a distance of three days' journey in the direction of the north wind."

However, speaking of the origin of the Scythians themselves, Herodotus reported that the "nomadic Scythians" who lived in Asia were displaced by the Massagetae and, "crossing the Araxes River, went to the Cimmerian land," while uncertainly classifying the Massagetae themselves as the same Scythians. Herodotus also reported that the language of the "Sauromatians" is Scythian, "but they speak it from ancient times with errors."

There is also another version of the origin of the name "Sarmatians," which I. Marquart associated with the name of one of the sons of Thraetaona, from the Avestan story of Sairima, Tura, and Arya. Ferdowsi in the "Shahnameh" writes that the possessions of Salm (Sairima) went to the "West," Tura — to Chin and Turan, and Iraj (Arya) — to Iran.