18 sarmatians from Ural, Caspian steppe, Moldova

The Sarmatians were a group of nomadic Iranian-speaking tribes who dominated the steppes of Central Asia and Eastern Europe from around the 5th century BCE to the 4th century CE. They were closely related to the Scythians and shared many cultural and linguistic traits. Originating in the region north of the Caspian Sea, the Sarmatians gradually migrated westward, eventually occupying a vast expanse that stretched from the Ural Mountains to the Danube River. Their expansion was fueled by their mastery of horseback warfare, and they are renowned for their use of heavily armored cavalry, known as cataphracts. By the 1st century CE, the Sarmatians had become a dominant force in the region and often clashed with the Roman Empire, both as enemies and, at times, as mercenaries.

Culturally, the Sarmatians maintained a semi-nomadic lifestyle, relying heavily on horse breeding and herding for sustenance. Their society was highly militarized, with both men and women participating in warfare. In fact, Sarmatian women warriors were a prominent part of their culture, possibly inspiring the legends of the Amazons in Greek mythology. The Sarmatians buried their dead in kurgans, which often contained weapons, jewelry, and other goods to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. Their art and craftsmanship, particularly in metalwork, reflected a mixture of steppe traditions and influences from neighboring cultures such as the Greeks and Romans. Despite their martial prowess, by the 4th century CE, the Sarmatians began to decline due to internal fragmentation and the pressure of migrating Germanic, Slavic and Turkic tribes, which eventually led to their assimilation into other cultures.

For this video, I have gathered the raw genomes of 18 academic sarmatian samples. With PCA based ethnicity calculators such as Global 25, they resemble iranic Central Asians and populations of the Volga Ural region.