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Hyperborean, Issedones and Vedic Aryans of Prehistory and new findings on

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Hyperborean, Issedones and Vedic Aryans of Prehistory and
new findings on related Archeology and Genetics

Bipin Shah December 2015

Abstract

Ancient Greeks believed that an advanced race like Atlantis lived in the “beyond the north
wind”. Ancient Greek Historians called Thrace (Baltic- Bulgarian) region as “Berea”.
Therefore, the people further northeast to Thrace were called “Hyperborean” or people living
in the region north of Berea. The bible placed the Berea somewhere in Macedonia. So North
or Northwest region from Berea will be near the Black sea. Therefore, the ancient Greek
historians may have called those people near black sea, Hyperborean. With limited
knowledge of geography at that time period, one cannot be certain of the actual geography
but advances in archeology and genetic have enabled the experts to correlate those historical
observations.

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According to Greek mythology they worshipped the wind (Sanskrit-Vayu or Marut). The land
of Hyperborean was perfect with sun shining 24 hours a day. In ancient period, the climate
can be different and northern steppe was assumed to be very fertile and agriculture-based
region, where fossilized grains were discovered through archeological excavations and
evidences are established for the presence of domesticated animals including horses.

Greek poet Pindar suggested that there was no precise location for Hyperborean. We don’t
know what he meant but he stated, “Neither by ship nor on foot, would you find any
marvelous road to the assembly of the Hyperborean.” He may have implied, perhaps that
they were nomads on the move. Herodotus, father of the ancient history, also gave some
details about hyperborean, citing several sources dating back to 8th century BC. Prior to him,
included Poet Homer (famed poet of Helen of Troy and Atlantis legend). Herodotus concluded
that Hyperborean lived in steppes of Issedones. The word Issedones in Greek perhaps means
Asia or central Asia.

Issedones were an ancient people of Central Asia as described by Herodotus in his History
(IV.16-25) and repeated by Ptolemy in his Geography. According to Herodotus the Issedones
were situated opposite to the Massagetae, who were at the east of the Caspian Sea, or rather
Aral; but Issedones were, as will appear, very much farther to the east. The Issedones and
Massagetae are described by Herodotus as similar, but distinct from, the Scythians. Ptolemy
placed them on the Silk Road in Chinese East Turkistan (Tarim Basin, Xinjiang). The Greek
author also cited that the Issedones had a custom of having their wives in common.
(Mahabharata-Draupadi). Other authors added the custom of bride kidnapping as practiced
in modern day Kyrgyzstan and referenced in epic Mahabharata of India.

A scholar’s map showing sites that practiced similar burials of Issedones, Massagetae and Pazyryk s

Herodotus further stated that the Hyperborean were believed to be living beyond the snowy
“Riphean” Mountains, but various Greek and roman sources kept changing the location of
“Riphean” Mountain, since nobody had travelled that far or had any firsthand experience,
they were simply citing secondary sources. Northern Europeans (Norse people), when
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confronted with the classical Greco-Roman culture of the Mediterranean, identified
themselves as the Hyperborean, neglecting the traditional description of a perpetually sunny
land beyond the north. However, their old Norse mythologies are very much like Indo-Iranian
Aryans, and their prehistorical tribal association in the ancient history cannot be ruled out.

Some European historians speculated them to be Proto-Turkic people, but their language is of
different origin and their customs as described don’t match with Proto-Turkic people as
spelled out by china’s grand historians. No one can be sure, if this narrative were derived
from the traveler’s tale or a personal encounter by a Greek merchant trading in Black Sea
region with either the Hyperborean or Issedones. Regardless of their writings, the recent
discoveries of several archeological sites in and around Ural and Altai Mountains give us a
pose that there may be some grain of truth in these ancient tales.

The Babylonians sources believed in a mysterious paradise in the “the far north-east” where a
race of great sages lived; and the ancient Greeks too extolled a northern Elysium in which
they believed the Hyperboreans, a wise, peaceful and long-lived race, lived in great splendor
and prosperity. Even though Delphi was regarded as the centre of the Greek world, its God
Apollo and his sister, the goddess Artemis, were acknowledged to be originally deities of this
secret land of Hyperboreans to the far Northeast, where stood the cosmic axle that the
Greeks called Helice, “That Wheel Turns.” Later Greek historian believed that Hyperborean
was the area of Altai Mountain, and as having its source in the shamanism that grew up
around the semi-mythical magicians and pole-lords of Altai. But research and sacred tradition
both suggest its origins go further back still to north-eastern Asia within the Arctic Circle, to a
society that flourished on the shores of the Siberian Sea.

John G. Bennett’s work on "The Hyperborean Origin of the Indo-European Culture" was
published in Journal of Systematic, Vol. 1, No. 3, December 1963 and he claimed the Indo-
European homeland (urheimat) was in the far north and labeled that as “Hyperborea” as
described by the writers of the ancient Greece. This idea was earlier proposed by India’s
freedom fighter, Mr. Bal Gangadhar Tilak (whom Bennett gives credits) in his book, Tilak
describes “The Arctic Home is the home of the Vedas or Vedic people (1903)”. John Mitchell
another historian said “The entire surface of the earth is marked with the traces of a gigantic
work of prehistoric engineering, the remains of a once universal system of natural magic,
involving the use of polar magnetism together with another positive force related to solar
energy. Of the various human and superhuman races that have occupied the earth in the
past, we have only the dreamlike accounts of the earliest myths. All we can suppose is that
some overwhelming disaster, most likely destroyed this system, whose continuation
depended upon its control of certain natural forces across the entire earth. Mitchell is
another voice among many claiming that in the archives of prehistoric peoples, a forgotten
3
race has left traces of an advanced body of knowledge, seemingly both spiritual and
technological, which can guide us, if we will, into a viable future. Another work by Austro-
Hungarian ethnologist Karl Penka similarly makes the same claim that an advanced human
civilization resided in the Russian region of Ural Mountain. See his book on Origins of the
Aryans, 1883. India’s Vedic literature mentions the land of “Uttara-Kuru” with no precise
geographical location, while later Avestan sources places it close to the land of Zoroaster near
ancient silk road close to Caspian Sea and near the city of Hamdan in Iran. (“ancient Median
empire and city of Ektaban”) It appears that these vague historical accounts varied with
migrating people and original locations may have forgotten. Persian Avesta, section
FARGARD 1, gives some hints to Original Aryan homeland.” The first of the good lands and
countries which I, Ahura (Asura in Sanskrit) Mazda, created, was the Airyana Vaeja (Arya
Vart). Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he counter-created the serpent in
the river and winter, a work of the Daevas ( Note: Devas in Veda are good and Asura are bad,
a totally reverse belief from Vedic people brought about by an earliest schism). There are ten
winter months there, two summer months; and those are cold for the waters, cold for the
earth, cold for the trees. Winter falls there, the worst of all plagues. [Hum 35: "Ten are there
the winter months, two the summer months, and even then [in summer] the waters are
freezing, the earth is freezing, the plants are freezing; there is the center of winter, there is
the heart of winter, there winter rushes around, there (occur) most damages caused by
storm."] This is clear hint that the reference here is Russian arctic region north of Volga river
that got too cold due to climatic changes.

The original worship of Vayu and Sun probably began here. Two most prominent natural
forces controlled the life and activity of the people living in the cold region.
All these earlier assumptions and literary references had no archeological supports, so
alternate assumptions and advocacy of Aryan homeland (Urheimat) have continued, until the
archeological discovery of Arkaim, Sintashta and BMAC cultural sites were known and they
implied migration and was suggestive of Indo-Iranian people. (“Vedic and Avestan Aryans”)

At this point, we have very little information on how these ancient people from arctic region
migrated and spread as far as Anatolia (Turkey) and further west, while one branch moved to
subcontinent and therefore various assumptions on Aryan homelands are going to be
controversial and will be debated among scholars. In this article, we will attempt to share
findings of these discovery as well as with the use of genetic science establish connectivity
among ancient archaeological cultures described in the article. The symptoms and signs of
Vedic culture often mentioned in India’s epic stories are coming alive through archeology in
far distant lands as well as similarities of languages, mythologies and customs. This also
establishes some degree of truth in tales of hyperborean of antiquity and Indian Sanskrit as a
mother language of all Indo-European people.
4
 Central Asian Steppe during 3000-2000 BC and various archeological cultures

Climate Change and ancient Migration

The simultaneous demise of agriculture and disruption of trade among cities-states brought
about the demise of Fertile Crescent consisting of Egypt, lower Mesopotamia, Greece, Indus-
Sarasvati region, and southern china. The demise was initiated by worldwide shift on the
climate change that altered the monsoon patterns on a long-term basis and other
unexplained phenomenon like glacier melt. In our current understanding, the Fertile Crescent
of the ancient Mesopotamia included Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, UAE and surrounding portions of
Iran and Turkey, as well as the island of Cyprus and the rest of the Levantine coast of the
Mediterranean Sea. The lands of Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and its Water sources were
also included. On a worldwide scale the Fertile Crescent also embodied Lower Egyptian Nile
Delta, India’s Indus-Sarasvati (Harrapan) rivers delta, Mesoamerica and southern china. It
was like a belt around the world. Around the outer boundary are the arid and semi-arid lands
of the Caucasus to the North, the Anatolian highlands to the west, and the Sahara Desert to
the west. Mexico, Peru and other nearby countries of Mesoamerica were also part of the
belt, but we have no details. This suggests that it was a worldwide phenomenon.

5
Current Satellite imagery of dried riverbed, where once Indus-Sarasvati civilization prospered.

The existing known archeological sites of Indus-Sarasvati in western India- Pakistan

6
 Abandoned well planned city of Indus valley

The general assessment by climatologists and other experts’ attributes this decline to climatic
shift. Archaeologist’s rough assessment was that these early civilizations emerged from
hunter-gatherer’s phase due to the development of agriculture, supported by fertile soil and
abundant rainfall that generated food resources. The domestication of animals became
another contributing factor to abandon hunter gatherers’ living and to settle down to build
well planned cities. The approximate phases of Fertile Crescent may have begun as early as
9000 to 10000 years ago and ended around 4200 to 4500 years ago. This climatic shift of
monsoon was multiyear events, and some speculate that it lasted for 200 to 300 years. This
disrupted trade and food resources and the survivors fled to other areas, while abandoning
planned cities of Indus-Sarasvati valley. We see similar evidences in lower Egypt, lower
Mesopotamia and other places in the world. There is no evidence of epidemics, war or
massacre of entire population. The residents just moved on to other areas to avoid famines.

Why Avesta Discuss Climate change?

“LSU paleo climatologist Kristine DeLong conducted a research as a part of international

efforts that may provide some breakthrough and logical explanation to this mystery of this
demise. She sheds new light on how the tilt of the Earth affects the world's heaviest rain belt.
Delong analyzed data from the past 282,000 years that shows, for the first time, a connection
between the Earth's tilt called obliquity that shifts every 41,000 years, and the movement of
a low pressure band of clouds that is the Earth's largest source of heat and moisture -- the
Intertropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ. The standard assumptions about how the variations
in the Earth's orbit influences changes in climate are called Milankovitch cycles. According to
these principles, the Earth's tilt influenced ice sheet formation during the Ice Ages; the slow
wobble that occurs on a 23,000-year cycle as the Earth rotates around the sun called
7
precession affects the Tropics and the shape of the Earth's orbit that occurs on a 100,000-year
cycle that controls how much energy the Earth receives. This study was interesting as when
the research group started doing the spectral analysis, the 41,000-year tilt cycle started
showing up in the Tropics zone. That's not supposed to be there. That's not what the
textbooks tell us, DeLong said. This finding shows that the tilt of the Earth plays a much larger
part in ITCZ migration than previously thought, which will enable climate scientists to better
predict extreme weather events.” This was reported by Archeology online.

Although no one can be 100 % sure but climate change driven by El Nino effect does not fit
the model of 200 years of rain shortage. The collapses of the Fertile Crescent, Indus valley,
other civilization and extinction of several Chinese dynasties may have been linked to
persistent droughts associated with the ITCZ. This study provides additional dimension to
historians and climatologist to understand how old civilization might have collapsed.

Siberia once was lush green temperate region where woolly mammoth, other animals and
early humans survived. These different phenomenons of ITCZ independent of El Nino, may
have affected the climate change around the world. The ITCZ stands for “Intertropical
Convergence Zone”. The current heavy rain in Chennai and other events in far out places that
are abnormal are examples of shift in monsoon rain but not due to ITCZ effect. It is true that
earth’s tilt makes the seasons but change in magnetic field also affects the seasons as well as
global warming. How and where and how much are not studied due to lack of data. The
ancient Indian calendar designed as “Sapta Rishi” calendar of 3600 years and calculation of
Hindu yoga may be suggestive of some unknown phenomenon linked to axis change or
reversing magnetic polarity, this is speculative in nature but having long cycle connected with
some astrological events is assumed to be a suspect in determining the “ Hindu Yug or Yoga
and ancient calendar.”

Collapse of Indus-Sarasvati Civilization and Airyana Vaeja of Gatha

As the Indus valley collapsed something else may be happening elsewhere or concurrently.
Northern Eurasian steppe and polar region also experienced a climate shift like a deep freeze.
The wintery months extended to 8 to 9 months from much shorter period as per Avestan
writing. The temperatures were plunging with heavy wind and another migration was taking
place to move to warmer area. We can use Herodotus inferences and say, “Hyperborean
were on move.” Avestan literature may have preserved some of the memories of arctic
region. How can we expect the same degree of knowledge of geography from ancient people
as we know it in modern time? The homeland of the Aryans, or Aryan lands was called
Airyana Vaeja or Airyanam Dakhyunam in the Avesta and Rigveda of India called it Arya
Varta, but later Indian scribes confined the definition to the land of five rivers of Punjab
(Sapta Sindhu). The books of the Avesta called “Gatha” inform us that “Airyana Vaeja”, the
Aryan homeland, was where Zarathustra’s father lived (20.32) and where Zarathustra first
expounded his beliefs (32.3). However, it is questionable that those people really did not

8
migrate from some other places of Northeast. The preserved memory without writing script
often reflects the memories of just few generations.

In addition to mentioning original Aryan homeland of wintery chill, the Zoroastrian scriptures,
and (the books of the Avesta) deals with current geography known to the scribe and mention
neighboring nations or lands in the same way Mahabharata describes the nearby geography
but they are the areas of central Asia. So, other than passing reference to the original
homeland, where winter is 8 months, The Avestan book of Vendidad spells out a list of
sixteen nations (Chapter 1, 1-16), the first being Airyanem Vaeja or Airyana Vaeja (a duplicate
name of original homeland). Interestingly, the Vendidad, and indeed the entire Avesta, does
not mention Persia or Media as a part of the group of sixteen nations. These names
correspond to the conquered areas of Achaemenian rulers and not very accurate as it
included many non-Aryan tribes and was not the original homeland.

Vendidad Alternativ Old Persian/ Greek /

Present Name
Name e Spelling Pahlavi Western

1. Airyanem Airyana
Airan Vej (Phl.) Iran
Vaejo Vaeja

2. Sukhdho Sughdha Sugd, Northwest Tajikistan,

Suguda (OP) Sogdiana
(also Tuirya) Turan Samarkand (SE Uzbekistan)

Marv / Merv,
3. Mourum Mouru Margu (OP) Margiana
South Turkmenistan

Balkh,
4. Bakhdhim Bakhdhi Bakhtrish (OP) Bactria
North Afghanistan

N. Khorasan (NE Iran) &

Nisa
5. Nisaim Nisaya Parthava (OP) Parthia
South Turkmenistan.
Bordering Balkh and Marv

Hari Rud (Herat),

6. Haroyum Haroyu Haraiva (OP) Aria
Northwest Afghanistan

Khnenta
7. Kabul,
Vaekerata Kalpul (Phl.) Sattagydia
Vaekeretem Eastern Afghanistan
/ Vaekereta

9
 Uvarazmiya/Uv Khvarizem/Cho
8. Urvam Urva Khorezm, Uzbekistan
arazmish rasmia

9. Khnentem Gorgan, Golestan,

Vehrkana Varkana (OP) Hyrcania
Vehrkano North-northeast Iran

10. Harauvatish Kandahar & Oruzan

Harahvaiti Arachosia
Harahvaitim (OP) South Central Afghanistan

11.
Helmand - SE Afghanistan &
Haetumante Haetumant Zraka (OP) Drangiana
Sistan - E. Iran
m

Rai, Tehran & S. Alburz,

12. Rakham Ragha Raga (OP) Ragai
North Iran

Uncertain: Either Ghazni, SE

13.
Kakhra Afghanistan or just west of
Chakhrem*
Rai, N. Iran

Patashkh- W. Mazandaran, Gilan &

Western
14. Varenem Varena vargar or Northern Alburz (land of Mt.
Hyrcania
Dailam (Phl.) Damavand) North Iran

Northern valley of the seven

Indus rivers** (Upper Indus
15. Hapta Hapta Basin)
Hindava (OP) Indus
Hendu** Hindu Gandhara (Waihind)***,
Punjab and Kashmir in N.
Pakistan & NW India

later part of
Arvastani Rum Lake Urmia, Upper Tigris,
16. Ranghaya Rangha (Phl.) i.e. Kurdistan, Eastern & Central
Eastern Roman Turkey
empire

Source: Heritage Institure.com derived from Avestan literature. As can be seen from the list, the geography is
limited from Balkh (Bactria) area where Zaruashtra was born and does not cover polar, Anatolia or Black sea
region.

Below is the map of Vendidad nations as described in “Gatha literature” from Heritage
Institute. It still provides some clue which areas Old Persian speaking people spread during
10
the time and life of Zaruashtra. This is the general area where author believes BMAC culture
and Oxus culture spread in the later Bronze Age.

Vendidad nations

Polar Region Hypothesis and archeological evidence:

Arkaim – a Swastika city in Russia

Arkaim archeological site is (Russian-Аркаим), located south of Magnitogorsk in the Ural

Mountains, north of modern Kazakhstan. Arkaim is an ancient fortified settlement dated to
3500-4000 BC. It consists of two concentric circular walls with an observatory at its center.
Arkaim was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Soviet archeologists believe that the carbon
dating of artifacts found there may place the last build around 3500-4000 BC; although, its
prior history may extend thousands of years beyond the carbon dating. The city is laid out in
the shape of Swastika or Sanskrit Mandala, thereby getting the name as “Swastika city”.
Coincidentally, it has the same latitudes as Stonehenge. Could these people of Arkaim be
hyperborean as referred by Herodotus?

11
Arkaim Layout-inner circle observatory walled with hut like structure and chakra and swastika
12
Arkaim was equipped with a drainage gutter and storm sewage system and had actually been
protected from fire by the timbered flooring of the houses and the houses themselves were
imbued with a fireproof substance – a strong compound the remnants of which can still be
found in the ruins. Each house gave onto an inner ring road paved with wooden blocks; and in
each house there was a hearth, a well, cellars, an oven and provision for a cooled food
storage system. The oven was such that it may have been possible to smelt bronze in it, as
well as to fire pottery. After this exciting excavation, more than another twenty fortified
settlements and necropolises were unearthed in the Arkaim Valley, some stone-built, larger
and more impressive than Arkaim. With Arkaim possibly its capital, the complex came to be
called the Land of Cities and presented scientists with many mysteries. It was the first
concrete evidence of a lost Neolithic civilization in southern Russia, confirming what had long
been believed, that the southern Urals and northern Kazakhstan, situated at the junction of
Asia and Europe, was perhaps an important region in the formation of a complex Aryan
society.

Victoria LePage wrote a narrative in New Dawn Magazine (November 1st 2008) where she
hypothesizes: “ a great star-gazing Ice Age people lived in the Arctic region, at that time it was
a temperate zone, before migrating south to Inner Asia as conditions changed and the great
ice sheets melted. There, in a fertile, paradisiacal land, these unknown sages became the core
of a Ural-Altaic race that continued to evolve over the millennia, improving the stock of
primitive humanity by intermarriage, developing cosmological sciences and political
structures that sowed the seeds of our present civilized state, migrating across the earth and
then disappearing, leaving immortal legends about them behind.”
13
This statement reminds some people of seven sages of India and those alien being started the
civilization on planet earth.

Altai Mountain-Russia

14
The presence of star gazing observatory at Arkaim is striking. The author wrote an article on
the origin of swastika some time ago and stated that swastika was derived from observing a
celestial object by some ancient sages. Swastika is found in India’s religions of Hinduism,
Jainism and Buddhism. The Swastika sign was spread throughout the ancient Indo-European
world. As a matter of fact, the oldest swastika was found in Ukraine and not in India. Arkaim
is correctly labeled by Russian archeologist as “Swastika city”. Since Swastika is undoubtedly
the symbol of Aryans. Those Hyperborean of the Greek legends perhaps were Aryans and
may include Vedic branch. See more on Swastika on this link:
https://www.academia.edu/11165695/Swastika_was_used_in_Neolithic_Bronze_and_Iron_
Age_cultures_and_its_probable_origin_is_from_Astrology

Later built of Arkaim was of Bronze Age, a town in the Southern Urals showing clear evidence
of ancient advanced culture flourishing in Russia. Its circular principle around a central
square, with about sixty semi-dugout houses built within its ramparts resembles the in Vedic
Sanskrit description of village called “Gramh”. (in short Aprabhasa “Gam”) The discovery of
settlement was made near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in southern Urals. It was
constructed from wood used by humans in typical cold climate. This place could only be
entered via four intricately constructed passageways that would have made the entrance of
enemies extremely difficult very similar to Hittite fortification. The unique characteristics of
the settlement was it was closely aligned to several celestial reference points and is therefore
believed to have been an observatory as well as a fortress and functioned also as an
administrative and a religious center.

This may also answer India related question that why no Vedic related ruins are discovered?
The answer then can be simple. The Vedic people used the woods and destructible materials
for building the houses the way the people built in colder climate. Those things can
disintegrate with the time. According to Greek account, Palibothra (Patliputra) was built with
wooden houses with polished stones as structural foundation rather than bricks. The city was
also protected by mud bricks with stones fortress.

15
 Plan of Arkaim and dwelling huts

This Bronze Age settlement was contemporaneous with the Cretan-Mycenaean, Middle
Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Indus valley civilizations and older by several centuries than
Homer’s fabled Troy, whose circular layout closely resembled Arkaim. The Russian
archeologist showed that Arkaim enjoyed an advanced technology for its time, along with the
knowledge of Astronomy and Geometry. In India, the ancient village houses, the floor and
wall were coated with mud and cow dung that acted as fire retardant. Explaining the
meaning of the word Arkaim, Russian expert Alex Sparkly explained that “Ar-ka” means sky,
and “Im” means earth. Here the material and the spiritual are inseparable.

The city of ancient Troy was destroyed by Greek king Agamemnon during the Trojan Wars
and was built on the same principle as Arkaim. Arkaim may find its prototype in Plato’s
Atlantis with its three concentric circles of canals. Similar legend is attributed to the sacred
city dedicated to the Norse god Odin (Thunderbolt God) as described in the Icelandic saga,
reminds Indians of Indra, also the possessor of thunderbolt.

16
Model of Arkaim (3,600-4,000 B.C.) compare Present dwelling of Kuchha in Gujarat

Site of Arkaim- aerial view

17
This discovery of Arkaim along with Sintashta and BMAC (Bactria Margiana Archeological
complex) cultures has opened an opening to Aryan migration hypothesis over various lands
covering thousands of years and we also find some support through Genetic studies and
linguistics. The world’s Aryan epics had historical basis that epitomize the battles and
conquests captured in epics of the aggressive Indo-European people. These early warriors of
Eurasian steppe waged battles across Eurasia and Mediterranean lands, where their war
chariots shattered the peace of Egypt, Central Asia and other places. These Ural-Altaic
peoples of Arkaim of past antiquity raise more questions than it answers. Swastika the
symbol of Aryans found depicted on many of the clay pots unearthed in Arkaim. According to
the research conducted by archeologist Konstantin Bystrushkin, Arkaim tracked 18
astronomical events.

They include sunsets and sunrises on the days of equinox and solstice, as well as sunsets and
sunrises during low and high Moon. However, as far as India was concerned, Indus Valley was
deserted as there was no water to support the life, so Vedic Aryan headed east to Gangetic
plain after spending considerable time in Gandhara, Punjab and upper Sindh. Vedic India may
have extended as far as Baluchistan, Siestan and Jiroft- Kerman provinces and down to
Guelph. This squarely places the conventional textbook definition of ancient geography of
Indian Janapadas in serios questions that were graphically laid out by the colonial historian
using later age Buddhist texts who lapse due to memory tradition of knowledge.

Sintashta-Petrovka Archeological complex

Sintashta (Russian: Синташта) is an archaeological site in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. It is the

remains of a fortified settlement dating again to the Bronze Age, (2800–1600 BC). This site
can be best described as a "fortified metallurgical industrial center" or so to speak
manufacturing facility for weapons, tools and possibly, early form of chariots with wooden
wheels fortified with Bronze outer rim. At this site, they have found horse burial ceremony
like “Asvamedha” as described in Vedic literature with presence of the chariots. This is south
west of Arkaim culture. The burial site is just east of the Ural Mountains, southeast of the
town of Magnitogorsk.

Gennady Zdanovich and his colleagues have been excavating the remains of an ancient
grassland culture they call Sintashta-Petrovka. As part of an elaborate mortuary ritual, the
Sintashta people buried their dead with weapons, ornaments, horses, and other livestock--
and sometimes whole chariots, whose wheels were fitted into holes in the grave floor.
Though the chariots themselves have decayed, the Russian archeologists have found the
imprint of spooked wheels stained in the ground (as well as the remains of drivers). The
18
Spokes are the chariot’s defining characteristic; they’re what distinguish it from earlier,
heavier wagons. Based on the style of the artifacts, the Russian researchers dated the
Sintashta chariots to 2000 B.C.—2200 BC and ahead of the first evidence of chariots in the
Middle East, suggesting that chariots first in steppe.

Sintashta archeological complex Model- more like an Industrial-metallurgical town

Sinthasha culture

19
Asvamedha:
Rig Veda, a book of hymns compiled by the Vedic Aryans, contains hymns and that gives
detailed accounts of Aryan rituals. In mortuary rituals, warriors were buried with their
chariots and horses. A plank roof was laid across the burial chamber, and horses and a goat
were sacrificed on the roof and again around an earthen mound built on top. Nearly,
thousand years before the date of Rig Veda, the Sintashta people were burying their dead in
the same way in every detail, see pictures below.

One passage of Rig Veda, the divine Ashvin twins seek a magical drink (Soma) made by
Vasudeva. A Brahmin Yojana (fire) priest knows the secret of the drink (Soma) but has been
sworn not to tell. The Ashvin twins cut off his head and replace it with the head of a horse.

The priest then speaks through the horse’s head and can divulge the secret of the drink.
At one of the Sintashta sites, a grave was found with a human sacrifice on top. Now, this is
not unusual in archeology, but in Sintashta case, the man’s who was being sacrificed had his
head cut off and replaced with the head of a horse.

Burial ceremony was like Asvamedha described in Vedic corpus. The conclusion by the experts suggested that
Chariotry was first invented in steppes and was introduced to Mesopotamia by another branch of Aryan
warriors (Hittite-Mittani-Mede group)

20
Rig Veda -HYMN III- Asvins (As translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith)
1 Ye Asvins, rich in treasure, Lords of splendor, having nimble hands,
Accept the sacrificial food.
2 Ye Asvins, rich in wondrous deeds, ye heroes worthy of our praise,
Accept our songs with mighty thought.
3 Nasataya, wonderworkers, yours arc these libations with clipped grass:
Come ye whose paths are red with flame.
4 O Indra marvelously bright, come, these libations long for thee,
Thus, by fine fingers purified.
5 Urged by the holy singer, sped by song, come, Indra, to the prayers,
Of the libation-pouring priest.
6 Approach, O Indra, hasting thee, Lord of Bay Horses, to the prayers.
In our libation take delight.
7 Ye Visvedevas, who protect, reward, and cherish men, approach
Your worshipper's drink-offering.
8 Ye Visvedevas, swift at work, come hither quickly to the draught,
As milch-kine hasten to their stalls.
9 The Visvedevas, changing shape like serpents, fearless, void of guile,
Bearers, accept the sacred draught
10 Wealthy in spoil, enriched with hymns, may bright Sarsavad desire,
With eager love, our sacrifice.

21
11 Inciter of all pleasant songs, inspirer o all gracious thought,
Sarasvati accept our rite
12 Sarasvati, the mighty flood, - she with be light illuminates,
She brightens every pious thought.

HYMN XXII Asvins and Others

1 WAKEN the Asvin Pair who yoke their car at early morn: may they
Approach to drink this Soma juice.
2 We call the Asvins Twain, the Gods borne in a noble car, the best
Of charioteers, who reach the heavens.
3 Dropping with honey is your whip, Asvins, and full of pleasantness
Sprinkle therewith the sacrifice.
4 As ye go thither in your car, not far, O Asvins, is the home
Of him who offers Soma juice.
5 For my protection I invoke the golden-handed Savitar.
He knoweth, as a God, the place.
6 That he may send us succour, praise the Waters' Offspring Savitar:
Fain are we for his holy ways.
7 We call on him, distributer of wondrous bounty and of wealth,
On Savitar who looks on men.
8 Come hither, friends, and seat yourselves Savitar, to be praised by us,
Giving good gifts, is beautiful.
9 O Agni, hither bring to us the willing Spouses of the Gods,
And Tvastar, to the Soma draught.
10 Most youthful Agni, hither bring their Spouses, Hotra, Bharati,
Varutri, Dhisana, for aid.
11 Spouses of Heroes, Goddesses, with whole wings may they come to us
With great protection and with aid.
12 Indrani, Varunani, and Agnayi hither I invite,
For weal, to drink the Soma juice.
13 May Heaven and Earth, the Mighty Pair, bedew for us our sacrifice,
And feed us full of nourishments.
14 Their water rich with fatness, there in the Gandharva's steadfast place,
The singers’ taste through sacred songs.
15 Thornless be thou, O Earth, spread wide before us for a dwelling-place:
Vouchsafe us shelter broad and sure.
16 The Gods be gracious unto us even from the place whence Visnu strode
Through the seven regions of the earth!
17 Through all this world strode Visnu; thrice his foot he planted, and the whole
Was gathered in his footstep's dust.
18 Visnu, the Guardian, he whom none deceive, made three steps: thenceforth
Establishing his high decrees.
19 Look ye on Visnu's works, whereby the Friend of Indra, close-allied,
Hath let his holy ways be seen.

22
20 The princes evermore behold that loftiest place where Visnu is,
Laid as it were an eye in heaven.
21 This, Vishnu's station most sublime, the singers, ever vigilant,
Lovers of holy song light up.

There are other hymns related to Aswins, Soma and other deities, that can be found at this
link http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/hinduism/rigveda/asvins_1.asp
Also note in the above depiction from the same site showing the head of the horse as being
offering to God.

Aryan Theories

When it comes to Aryans there are many theories. Those people who probably lived in
wooden houses and palaces did not leave any archeological traces like Harrapan did. Genetics
have clearly proved that various people came into India as far as over 100,000 years ago and
some left and some stayed during prehistoric or Stone Age. Aryan migration is an event that
took place well after decline of Indus-Sarasvati civilization or concurrently when decline was
in its last stage. We find no evidence of invasion or massacre. The homeland issues have been
debated by many experts and the author claims no definitive answer or clues. Perhaps there
are no clear-cut answers as to the timing of migration if it ever took place. The humans
always migrated for survival. The invasion theory is now debunked. Due to historical
attestation of other Aryan groups in Middle east (Mittani, Hittite, Medes), it became popular
to suggest that the proto-Indo- Europeans were farmers who originated in Anatolia (Turkey)
around 6000-8000 B.C., taking their language and their chariots and horses with them. The
Russian archeology and other literary evidence suggest that they were not from Middle East
but came from steppe of central Asia. The same climatic change that drove Harrapans also
affected other people and those living in northeast of Asia moved west towards first Black
sea region and then they spread in different direction over thousands of years. Arkaim people
may be the ancestors of Sintashta people or Proto-Indo-European. Sintashta people may be
the ancestors of the BMAC people and the later may be the ancestors of Indo-Iranians. As far
as Indian history is concerned, the Harrapan script remains undeciphered and all speculative
theories exist without any consensus. The way Indo-European and Sanskrit language and
culture dominated subcontinents continue to remain a mystery and sore subject for Tamil
speakers. The language debate sometime drives the origin debate and the struggle to claim
the cultural dominance continues. Unquestionably, Indus-Sarasvati people were first to
establish civilization but there are no original people left to claim that prize as if they
submerged into vast humanity of the subcontinent.

23
The key to spread of steppe people, according to David Anthony, was wagons and chariots. In
all Indo-European languages, he points out, from Celtic to Sanskrit; the words for axle,
wagon, and wheel derive from common roots of the proto-Indo-European words that has
been reconstructed by linguists. Clearly, Anthony says, speakers of proto-Indo-European must
have been familiar with wheeled vehicles, which weren’t invented until after 3500 B.C. The
out-of- Anatolia theory is too early, he says. It would require Indo-European languages to be
widely dispersed across Eurasia 2,000 years before the invention of wheeled vehicles. For
more logical minds, Anthony thinks, is to see things this way: when the proto-Indo-Europeans
and their descendants entered Europe and South Asia, carrying their language and their
customs with them, they traveled on wheels.

Aryan Chariots vs. Chariots of Mesopotamia

The main difference between the excavated remains of Sintashta chariot when compared to
chariots of Mesopotamia, Sintashta chariots were designed to carry one person but later
edition of Mesopotamian chariots can carry more than one person. Sintashta chariot wheels
had 8 to 12 spokes, whereas Middle Eastern chariot wheels had only 4. Sintashta chariots
were indigenous in design when compared to Middle Eastern one.

Chariots are the trademarks of the Aryans. So, it's very logical that everything they do would
embody chariots in it. Rig Veda has several references to chariots. Most preserved document
was Mitanni Aryan’s chariot manual found in Anatolia.

RIGVEDA HYMN CVI. Visvedevas.

1. CALL we for aid on Indra, Mitra, Varuna and Agni and the Marut host and Aditi.
Even as a chariot from a difficult ravine, bountiful Vasus, rescue us from all distress.
2 Come ye Adityas for our full prosperity, in conquests of the foe, ye Gods, bring joy to us.
Even as a chariot from a difficult ravine, bountiful Vasus, rescue us from all distress.
3 May the most glorious Fathers aid us, and the two Goddesses, Mothers of the Gods, who strengthen Law.
Even as a chariot from a difficult ravine, bountiful Vasus, rescue us from all distress.
4 To mighty Narasamsa, strengthening his might, to Pusan, ruler over men, we pray with hymns.
Even as a chariot from a difficult ravine, bountiful Vasus, rescue us from all distress.
5 Brhaspati, make us evermore an easy path: we crave what boon thou hast for men in rest and stir.
Like as a chariot from a difficult ravine, bountiful Vasus, rescue us from all distress.
6 Sunk in the pit the Rsi Kutsa called, to aid, Indra the Vrtra-slayer, Lord of power and might.
Even as a chariot from a difficult ravine, bountiful Vasus, rescue us from all distress.
7 May Aditi the Goddess guard us with the Gods: may the protecting God keep us with ceaseless care.
This prayer of ours may Varuna grant, and Mitra, and Aditi and Sindhu, Earth and Heaven.

24
In the Rig Veda, chariots are the vehicles of kings, warriors and heroes and chariot races were
described in Veda. David Anthony, an archeologist from Hartwick College, New York thinks
the Sintashta people were the ancestors of the Vedic Aryans or from linguistic point of view
they were Proto-Aryans and their chariots were developed for ritual racing rather than
warfare. A lot hung on chariot racing; he explains. “You could win enormous prizes, disputes
were decided, and you had trials by chariot race, just like Gun duel of old west.” Anthony
believes that Sintashta represents the origins of a tradition later reflected in the Rig Veda.

The invention of the chariot advanced the art of ancient warfare. This high-speed, highly
maneuverable horse driven platform with sharp spooks gave a warrior, a mobile launching
platform to shoot an arrow or launch a spear against an infantry on foot and make a quick
getaway. India’s Bhagvat Gita describes the battle scene with Arjuna wielding bows and
arrows while God Krishna driving the chariots. Since Egyptian left many undated records in
heliography forms, the Archeologists have long assumed that the chariots were invented in
Middle East.

Anthony believes it is erroneous assumption based on new findings. The horse is the animal
of Steppe prior to its distribution throughout the world. Earliest charioteers were not the
people who invented the farming wheel of Mesopotamia, but the people who first rode on
horseback--the nomads of the Eurasian steppes and a tribe who called themselves Aryans.
Sanskrit “Asva” (equestrian) means horse and it is a central Asian steppe species before it
was spread over to rest of the world. This is what gave nomads like Huns, Xiongnu, Mongols,
Moghuls, Turks, Scythian and others an edge over settled civilization of south. Don’t make
any wrong assumption, this is the fact. Undoubtedly as the use and demand of horses spread,
they were dispersed throughout the world and just like everything else they evolved
reflecting their environment.

Sintashta site named after Sintashta River is situated in the steppe, just east of the Ural
Mountains. The shifting course of the river over time has destroyed half of the site, leaving
behind thirty-one of the approximately fifty or sixty houses in this settlement. The settlement
consisted of rectangular houses arranged in a circle 140 m in diameter and surrounded by a
timber-reinforced earthen wall with gate towers and a deep ditch on its exterior. The
fortifications at Sintashta and similar settlements such as Arkaim were of unprecedented
scale for the steppe people. There is evidence of copper and bronze metallurgy taking place in
every house excavated at Sintashta, again an unprecedented intensity of metallurgical
activities for the steppe. There are indications that the early Abashevo culture people may
have mixed with the new people coming into the area. Due to the assimilation of tribes in the

25
region of the Urals, such as the Pit-grave, Catacomb, Poltavka, and northern Abashevo, it
would be inappropriate to claim just Aryan influence, but domination is clear from cultural
point of view.

Five cemeteries have been found associated with the site, the largest of which (known as
“Sintashta Mogila” consisted of forty graves. Some of these were chariot burials, producing
the oldest known chariots in the world. Other burial sites included horse sacrifices up to eight
in a single grave with various stone, copper and bronze weapons, and silver and gold
ornaments. It has been noted that the kind of funerary sacrifices evident at Sintashta have
similarities to funerary rituals described in the archaic Rig Veda, the most ancient religious
text of Proto-Indo-Iranians. It is quite possible that “early portion of archaic Rig Veda” may
have been compiled over here based on some archeologist.

The Radiocarbon dating of various sites and settlements and cemeteries span over a
millennium. This suggests an earlier occupation perhaps belonging to the Poltavka culture as
named by Russian archeologist. Many of the dates based on artifacts discovered dates to
around 2200 BC. This probably indicates last known of occupation of the site prior to
migration elsewhere. Other settlements and cemeteries of the Sintashta culture may go back
as far back as 10,000 BC.

26
BMC culture (Bactria-Margiana-Complex)

The Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC), sometimes called as Oxus civilization

was dated to bronze age settlement of central Asia (2300–1700 BC). The present location is
spread over present northern Afghanistan, eastern Turkmenistan, southern Uzbekistan and
western Tajikistan, centered on the upper Amu Darya (Oxus River). These sites were
discovered and named by the Soviet archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi (1976). Bactria was the
Greek name for the Sanskrit name of Balkh or Bakhdhi and name Margiana is derived from
27
Persian satrapy of Margu (Magi), the capital of which was Merv, in modern-day southeastern
Turkmenistan. Somewhere here, the prophet Zoroaster was born.

The major excavated sites of Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex contained

monumental structures with heavy defensive walls, separated by sometime a day’s walk to
no more than 35 kilometers on average. There existed fire temples in those ancient cities
with altars, sacrificial areas and some of the features as described in the hymns of the Rig-
Veda and the Avesta — the holy texts of the Indo-Iranian Aryans.

The Yaz culture as shown in the map of BMAC practiced Sky burial funerary practice. Early
Buddhism and Jainism also practiced the same ritual. It is most likely that the dead bodies
Mahavira and Buddha both were processed with sky burial practices. The Zoroastrians
followers in India and Iran still practice the same method. Tibetan Buddhism has still
maintained this practice. To get details, see my article on sky burial.
https://www.academia.edu/3758692/Sky_Burial_Practice_of_Ancients-
From_Anatolia_to_China_west_to_east_

Sintashta artifacts and seals

Dr. Gregory Possehl believes that “Since the 1960s excavations on the Iranian Plateau at such
places as Tepe Yahya, Shahr-i Sokhta, Shahdad, and Jiroft have also added to the corpus of
finds, linking the Indus civilization with the BMAC and Mesopotamian civilization. For
example, the burial of a BMAC personage at Quetta and the French excavations at Sibri, a
BMAC settlement, indicate that BMAC peoples traveled in the Greater Indus Valley and even
took up residence there. Further evidence has been identified by sifting through the reports
and materials from old excavations from such places as Bampur, Khurab, Khinaman, and
Nishapur in Iran, and Kulli and Mehi in Pakistani Baluchistan. Now, more easily recognized,
28
we see that each of these sites produced BMAC materials that were missed”. If Possehl
observation is anywhere near the truth, then the debate on Aryan arrival vanishes as Aryans
of BMAC complex were mixing with Indus valley people long time ago. However, the DNA
sample of Rakhigarhi skeletons shows no evidence of mixing. This means Aryans more likely
migrated after the demise of Indus valley civilization. They may be aware of the extinction of
the river and decided to migrate east on the banks of the Ganges. This seem to make some
common sense and explains the complex genetics of present population of India. Those days
there was sparse population, and no one will notice who is coming or going. Rigvedic names
hymns of Sarasvati may refer to the places in the central Asia where they stayed where large
body of water still flows and they carry those names with them where they went.

I
Indus seal Artifacts from Sintashta Sintashta site and complex

Oxus and Indus civilization may be just related to trades

29
Seals and objects found at BMAC sites like Gonur Depe (shown) and culture interactions with various Bronze age
cultures- see Map by Maurizio Tosi. The conclusion is obvious that most likely Vedic Aryans stayed in BMAC
complex and knew the extinction of Meluhha and other civilization and avoided occupying the same area until
favorable places were found. There has to a good reason for migration like availability of water, tribal conflict.
Land for pasture and so on.
.

These objects document long-distance contact among various civilization: (a) an impression
of an Indus “unicorn” seal thought to come from Tell Ummah; (b) an Indus “unicorn” seal
from Mohenjo-Daro; (c) one of the seals published by Gadd (now on display in the British
Museum) showing an Indus script and animal device on a Persian Gulf–style seal; and (d) the
Indus elephant seal from Gonur Depe (BMAC) (compiled from images supplied by Maurizio
Tosi, Gregory L. Possehl, and Viktor Sarianidi. The Iranian archeologists have discovered the
BMAC cultural objects in Northern Iran; see more at this link.

http://www.payvand.com/news/13/nov/1138.html

M. Witzel, an eminent but controversial Indologists opines “In sum, as far as South Asia is
concerned, it can now be stated more securely that speakers of an IE language, early OIA
(pre-Rigvedic) entered the Greater Punjab from Afghanistan, acquired local words from the
Northern Indus dialect (such as śa a, lå gala, vrīhi, godhūma, ka gu, Gandhåra, Witzel
1999a,b). About the same time (?) speakers of Proto-Dravidian entered Sindh, acquired
related words from the southern Indus dialect (gōnu, ñåñcil, variñci, godī, ka ku/kampu)”

His proposition is intriguing, and his suggestion may coincide with victory of Assyrians over
Rim Sin-II and first batch of Elamites may have come to the subcontinent prior to Aryan’s
arrival. Later Elamite migration may have followed when Assyrian King Assur Banipal exiled
them from Susa, Iran. The Brahui speakers of Baluchistan may be remnants of an Elamites.

30
BMAC-OXUS Region before 1800 BC, Gold leaf horse, male and female figurines and a Chariot model

Linguistic Affinity

The linguistic affinity provides another clue to the trail of Aryan migration as can be seen
from the following map.

Blue-Centum (Latin) and Pink- Satem (Sanskrit) group

31
 Chariot map- the number in the map shows introduction in BC era
Linguistically, Sanskrit is regarded as the mother language of all “Satem” groups that includes
all Indo-Iranian, Baltic, Slavic languages including Russian. Professor Medvedev (Equivalent
Sanskrit word-Madhava deva, Madhava) is a chairman of the religious affair committee in
Russia. Medvedev appears to be a common Russian name as former President and now Prime
minister of Russian federation carries the same name. Professor Medvedev believes
“The Vedic culture may have been the original culture of Russia. In Russia practically all
scientists accept that Vedic culture once flourished there, the center being the Volga river
basin.” Professor Medvedev believes that the story in “Russian Veda” parallels the story of
“Hindu Veda”. The ‘Russian Veda’ may probably came from “Norse Edda”, when Vikings
arrived in Russia, or vice a versa. It can also be indigenous to Russia. Russia was also part of
the ancient Slavic people, who are the largest ethnic and linguistic group of people
throughout Eastern Europe. The Slavic language is closer relative of Sanskrit and old Persian
languages.

Their legend talks about God Tarkh and his sister Tara. God Tarkh was known as the guardian
of ancient wisdom and his sister was the beautiful Goddess golden Tara. The Slavic people are
known as the children of Tarkh and Tara and from the names of Tarkh and from the word
Tara, the great empire with a name Tar-tar-y was born.

32
The English word “Star” (Astra, Latin), Tara (Sanskrit), Ishtar, Ashtar (Akkadian-Sumerian-
Assyrian) shows commonality of worship to what ancient astrologers imagined in
sky(universe).

The Slavic and Russian languages contain numerous words which are cognate with Sanskrit,
some examples are given below. Sanskrit and Old Persian is almost Identical except switching
some words like “S” for “H”. “Sapta” in Sanskrit means “Hapta” in Persian and same way
applied to “Sindhu” Vs “Hindu”. This meant the people living on east side of River Sindhu. The
word Hindu is given to us by Midvale Persians and Afghans. Please keep in mind that almost
all earlier spoken languages are phonetic when they passed from the oral to a written form.

When comparing two languages the sound of the word as well as its morphological structure
plays key roles. The different Prakrit languages of India were derived from local dialect of
natives and Sanskrit speakers of India.

33
Indian Kalachakra Old picture of Slavic house decoration showing spooked wheels

34
 Entire Satum-Centum group of Indo-European Languages

Aryan Genetics of India

All Indian groups with exception of Andamanese and tribal of India descend from a mixture of
two genetically divergent populations that genetists have labeled them as: “Ancestral North
Indians (ANI)” descended from the areas of Central Asia, Mediterranean, Caucasus, and
Europe; (or simply related) and “Ancestral South Indians (ASI)” of earlier migration and not
closely related to any groups outside the subcontinent. The dates of Indian genetic mixture
are going on for a long time as the common breeding among human species and tribes were
common in prehistory. This obviously begs an explanation on Indian caste system that we will
cover in the end section of this article. Looking at archeology and movement of people, it is
hard to state that anyone can claim to have a pure race. There are homogeneous physical
characteristics found in people of Europe, Africa, China and some other regions of the world.
Arabs of all nationalities are mixed population. The subcontinent is highly diverse and mixed.

Haplogroup R1a or their subclades are a common Y DNA haplogroup in many parts of Eurasia.
One sub-clad (branch) of R1a, haplogroup R1a1, is much more common than the others in all
major geographical regions of India. R1a1, defined by the single-nucleotide polymorphism
(SNP) mutation M17, (and sometimes alternatively defined as R-M198), is particularly
35
common in a large region extending from South Asia and southern Siberia to Central Europe
and Scandinavia (Underhill 2009).

The above map shows Haplogroup R1A expansion and dispersion

A study on DNA variation among ancient Europeans found that, of the 6 samples extracted
from Srubna culture sites for whom a Y-DNA haplogroup could be tested, all belonged to
haplogroup R1a, and four of them to subclade R1a-Z93, which is common among modern-day
Indo-Iranians. There are different opinions on Aryan topic but consistent with archeology,
history and linguistics, the genetic studies provide additional support. More details on
Genetic history can be found on my earlier article.

https://www.academia.edu/7299351/Genetic_History_of_People_of_India

R1A Haplo Group

R1A1 and its subclades haplogroup is considered an “Aryan” genetic marker for those steppe
people, who called them “Aryans” based on Bisotun inscription of Darius-1 (Daryavahus in
Sanskrit-possessor and controller of Ocean) and religious texts of India. The map below
shows as they migrated, they mixed with various ancient ethnicities, diluting their markers.
36
R1a and R1b are Indo-European genetic markers. R1a (Y-DNA) is a specific sequence of nucleotides in the male Y
chromosome and a Y-chromosome haplogroup identified with the genetic marker M17. R1a originated as a
single mutation. It is suggested that the presence of R1a and subclade in India shows the intermixing that took
place in earlier history.

If R1a is assumed to be the male Haplogroup belonging to Aryan people, there are
suggestions from various studies that R1a and R1a1 split within Southern Asia. R1a and R1a1a
are believed to have originated somewhere within Eurasia, most likely in the area from
Eastern Europe to South Asia. The most recent studies indicate that Eastern Europe and South
Asia is more likely region of origin of R1a and its subclade than western Europe that carries
R1B and its subclades, that had very little mixing with divergent ethnicities. R1a1 gene has
proven to be a diagnostic Indo-Iranian marker and is believed to have been inherited from
people, who may have left a clear pattern of archaeological remains as described above.

Below are different faces of present Indo-Europeans of subcontinent that show some basic
similarities with other IE people scattered around the globe.

37
Caste System and Genetics

Since the start of the Bronze Age the hierarchal order of the civilized society was organized
based on the division of labor to have more productive society. Mesopotamians had a king
and his royal family and priest next to him in the order. The priest used to be the member of
royal family who officiated all the ceremonies either religious or social. At the bottom were
commoners, workers, farmers and craftsmen. Mahabharata documents that priest often
came from the royal family. The intent here is clear, the control and levers for power.

Aryans were organized in the same way in early history. However, during weak monarchy the
priestly class exercised equal or more power. Indian history has many examples and several
times the priest took over the power of monarchy.

Traditional system of society When Indo-Aryans came they changed the order to include natives into
Lower castes

38
When reviewing other Aryan groups like Mittani, Medes, and Persians they operated on
traditional system of three classes shown above and it was more indicative of their
professional as well as power structure. It is assumed that when Vedic group entered
subcontinent, they encountered natives, that were ethnically different. To accommodate in
Aryan society and culture, they ended up one or two new classes for native people according
to Buddhist and Hindu texts. This ultimately formed the basis of caste system with its
discriminatory overtones. Kshatriya and Brahmins of upper castes depended on each other to
maintain power and control.

Priya Moorjani, researchers from Harvard University in cooperation with Indian researcher
published a study on Indian caste system using genetic data. This study was published in
American Journal of human Genomics. Their study included diverse and large samples of two
groups. This indirectly provides support for Archaeological and linguistic research provided in
this article. This genetic finding covers two distinct population groups “Ancestral North
Indians (ANI)” and “Ancestral South Indians (ASI)”.

“The earliest archaeological evidence for agriculture in the subcontinent dates to 8,000–9,000
years before present time as per Mehrgarh excavation in present-day Pakistan and involved
wheat and barley derived from crops originally domesticated in West Asia. The earliest
evidence for agriculture in the south dates to much later time around 4,600 BC with no
affinities to West Eurasian agriculture (it was dominated by native pulses such as Mungbean
and Horsegram as well as indigenous millets.)

The Linguistic analyses also support a history of contacts between divergent populations in
India, including at least one with West Eurasian affinities. Indo-European languages including
Sanskrit and Hindi (primarily spoken in northern India) are part of a larger language family
that includes the great majority of European languages. In contrast, Dravidian languages
including Tamil and Telugu (primarily spoken in southern India) are not closely related to
Indo-European languages. Evidence for long-term contact between speakers of these two
language groups in India is evident from the fact that there are Dravidian loan words
(borrowed vocabulary) in the earliest Hindu text (the Rig Veda, written in archaic Sanskrit)
that are not found in Indo-European languages outside the Indian subcontinent. Although
genetic studies and other lines of evidence are consistent in pointing to mixture of distinct
groups in Indian history, the exact dates are not known.”

Julia Haskin summarizes this complex study and concludes that the mixing of different
cultural groups in India was rampant between 4200 to 1900 years ago. Only after Common
Era or 2000 years ago, the caste system became very rigid and proliferated with infusion of
new group of people. We know from the history that we had infusion of Turks, Saka,
Kamboja, Gete (Jats), Hunas, Mongols, and many other borderland groups of central Asia.
After arrival of Muslims, the intermixing declined, and people began marrying only within
their social castes. This is considered relatively recent development than Aryan imposed
stratification.
39
Mahabharata is full of evidence of marriage between Aryan male and Non-Aryan female.
Although, the marriage between Aryan female and non-Aryan male were rare. This means
modern-day Indians share connections to all the groups that intermarried in the distant past
prior to 2000 years ago.

"The fact that every population in India evolved from randomly mixed populations
Suggests that social classifications like the caste system are not likely to have
existed in the same way before the mixture, Thus, the present-day structure of the caste
system came into being in recent history “said study co-senior author Dr. Lalji
Singh of Banaras Hindu University of Varanasi, India.

Conversely, the most recent study published in the Nature on Rakhigarhi skeletons proves
that those 2600 BC skeletons were indigenously Harrapan and had no presence of R1a or R1b
genome marker associated with Aryan or IE group individuals and they entirely belonged
Ancestral southeast Asian and ancestral west Asian groups. If there were any contacts with
Aryan nomads of BMAC complex, they were not reflected in these small samples. The logical
explanation stated above is that Aryans arrived after the extinction of Indus-Sarasvati
civilization remain a strong possibility and if there were any contacts they were limited to
trades.

The researchers also found that the estimated dates aligned with clues in geography and
language, with groups that spoke Indo-European languages in the north admixing, or
interbreeding, before groups that spoke Dravidian languages in the south.

In Mahabharata Epics we know the examples of Bhim (Pandava) marrying Hidamba from
non-Aryan group. Arjuna had a wife from non-Aryan group and even Krishna married the
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daughter of King Revtaka of Saurashtra, who was of non-Aryan origin. In epic age the mixing
was widespread and common. Therefore, Passel’s observation that Aryans may be already
residing with Harrapans may have some legs to stand on.

REFERENCES:

1. "Srubna Culture" by J. P. Mallory and Fitzroy Dearborn, Encyclopedia of Indo-European

Culture, 1997.
2. “Eight Thousand Years of natural selection” by Iain Matheson; et al. (2015).
3. The Horse, the Wheel, and Language by Anthony, D. W. (2007Princeton, NJ: Princeton
University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-05887-0.
4. "The Sintashta Genesis: The Roles of Climate Change, Warfare, and Long-Distance Trade"
by. Anthony, D. W. (2009).
5. Social Complexity in Prehistoric Eurasia: Monuments, Metals, and Mobility by Hanks, B.;
Linduff, K. Cambridge University Press. pp. 47–73. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511605376.005.
ISBN 978-0-511-60537-6.
6. "Late Prehistoric Mining, Metallurgy, and Social Organization in North Central Eurasia" by
Hanks, B.
7. Social Complexity in Prehistoric Eurasia: Monuments, Metals, and Mobility by Linduff, K.
Cambridge University Press. pp. 47–73. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511605376.005. ISBN 978-0-
511-60537-6.
8. "Sintashta-Arkaim Culture" By Koryakova, L. (1998a)- The Center for the Study of the
Eurasian Nomads (CSEN), Retrieved 16 September 2010.
9. "The emergence of Bronze Age chariots in eastern Europe". By Kuznetsov, P. F. (2006)
Antiquity 80 (309): 638–645.
10. The Origin of the Indo-Iranians. Kuz'mina, E. E. (2007). Mallory, J. P., ed. Leiden: Brill.
ISBN 978-90-04-16054-5.
12. The caste system in South Asia by Priya Moorjani et al
http://www.livescience.com/38751-genetic-study-reveals-caste-system-origins.
13. http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2015/12/new-research-shows-earths-
tilt.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheArchae
ologyNewsNetwork+%28The+Archaeology+News+Network%29#.VnKoiF7LX1k
14. VEDAS & HUMAN DNA VI - ARKAIM: THE CRADLE OF ARYAN CIVILIZATION - 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8O5Vqhblzo
15. VEDAS & HUMAN DNA VI - ARKAIM: THE CRADLE OF ARYAN CIVILIZATION - 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_71-Hief7Kc
16. VEDAS & HUMAN DNA VI - ARKAIM: THE CRADLE OF ARYAN CIVILIZATION - 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx3VSerjxs8
17. VEDAS & HUMAN DNA VI - ARKAIM: THE CRADLE OF ARYAN CIVILIZATION - 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieTsw1EAen4

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 18. VEDAS & HUMAN DNA VI - ARKAIM: THE CRADLE OF ARYAN CIVILIZATION - 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAG2o9WnNwA
19. VEDAS & HUMAN DNA VI - ARKAIM: THE CRADLE OF ARYAN CIVILIZATION - 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_LceLpkni4
20. “The Arctic Home in The Vedas” by Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak Poona City, India,
1903
21. https://www.pinterest.com/alphacorvi/pontic-steppe-caspian-bmac-cultures/
22. Rig Veda http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/
23. Harrapan Question by Mayank Vahia, Bhandarkar scholar and Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400 005, INDIA
23. Hyperborea by Herodotus – “The History of Herodotus, parallel English/Greek: Book 4”,
Gutenberg open archive
24. Hyperboreans. Myth and history in Celtic-Hellenic contacts by Bridgeman-Google book
25. The Indian origin of paternal haplogroup R1a1* substantiates the autochthonous origin of
Brahmins and the caste system,
http://www.nature.com/jhg/journal/v54/n1/full/jhg20082a.html
26. Several WIKIS on Key subject matters.
27. Zoroastrian Heritage, by K. E. Eduljee, http://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/
28. https://www.facebook.com/x.x.x.x.TURK.x.x.x.x/videos/272141687081988/

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