In the first millennium BC. Iranian-speaking tribes lived on the territory of Central Asia, known from ancient sources under the collective name "Saki". The Persians called them "mighty men", and the Greeks - because of some similarity in their way of life - "Asiatic Scythians".
The first mention of the Saks is contained in an inscription on Mount Behistun, carved by order of the Persian king Darius I, who ruled in the late 6th - early 5th centuries. BC.
In the Iron Age, tribal unions of the Saks emerged. Each union was headed by a king who was also a priest. The power of the king was considered sacred and was passed from father to son.
Resettlement
The ancient Greek historian Herodotus describes four groups of Saka tribes. According to him, the saki-haomavarga lived in the valley of the Mugrab river - “brewing haomu”, an intoxicating drink used for ritual purposes. Between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, as well as in the foothills of the Tien Shan, lived the Saki saki-tigrahauda - “wearing pointed hats”. The lower reaches of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, the Aral Sea basin, as well as the territory of modern Tajikistan were inhabited by Saki-sugudam - "beyond Sogdiana". The fourth group - Saki-paradaraya, “those who are beyond the sea”, lived in the Black Sea and Caspian regions.
It is unlikely that the self-names given by Herodotus existed in reality. Making haoma and wearing pointed headdresses was typical for all Sakas, and not for individual tribes, and such a sign as living “beyond Sogdiana” could be significant in the eyes of the Greeks, but not the Sakas themselves. But if the classification of Herodotus raises doubts, then there is no reason to doubt about the territory of the settlement of the Saks that he indicated.
Farm
The basis of the Saks' economy was cattle breeding. It existed in three forms - nomadic, semi-nomadic and sedentary.
Nomadic pastoralism involved lengthy movements between summer and winter pastures. Nomads spent winter on the banks of rivers or lakes, in places not blown by the winds. Such winter camps were not long-term.
During semi-nomadic cattle breeding, both summer and winter camps were permanent, dugouts were built there. Some members of the community stayed in the winter camps and in the summer, engaged in farming. They grew wheat and barley.
Sedentary cattle breeding presupposed the permanent sedentary nature of part of the population. The main occupation of people leading a sedentary lifestyle was agriculture. Pastures, both winter and summer, were located not far from such settlements; long migrations were not required.
The nomads raised mainly sheep and camels. The Saks, who were engaged in sedentary cattle breeding, had a lot of cattle.
All Saka tribes - regardless of the dominant form of cattle breeding - bred horses. Archaeological evidence testifies to two varieties of these animals among the Sakas. Warriors rode on tall, slender horses. Stunted horses with thick legs and a massive body were used for household needs.
The Saka tribes played an important role in the history of the Middle East and Central Asia. With their participation, the Parthian state was formed.
