Scythians

This paper begins as a critical review of the archaeology of the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age Eurasian steppe, primarily in seeking the distinctions of its postulated horse-riding nomadic inhabitants known variously as Cimmerians, Scythians, Sauromatians, Sarmatians, Saka, Alans, etc., within a dialogue of what defines archaeological evidence as opposed to historical evidence and the problem of conflating one with the other. Eschewing historical labels, archaeological evidence alone for LBA/EIA Eurasian steppe cultures has been primarily based on recognizing artefacts and ecofacts as assumed remnants of a pastoral nomadic adaptation to the steppe environment; however, such a presupposition requires reflection on how a nomadic lifeway may be ascertained with any degree of confidence from a particular residue of material culture and ecofacts. In addressing this question, the paper veers into a discussion of pastoral nomadism itself, whether it exists independent of other modes of subsistence, and if it can be specifically identified among the cultural and environmental residue constituting a particular archaeological site. From this question, the argument proceeds to a critical understanding of archaeology itself, its goals, its areas of expertise, its theoretical principles, its methods of discovery and evaluation, its relationship to anthropology and history, its strengths and limitations, and how archaeology may be identified as a distinct academic discipline.

The first excavations on this barrow were carried out in 1913 by the famous archaeologist Alexei Bobrinskoy. The central part of the mound was excavated by the pit. The base of rather large ground wooden tomb buried in antiquity has been discovered there. The surviving items (weapons, horse equipment, pottery, small gold jewelry) later made it possible to date this mound to the end of the 7th century BC or ca. 7th—6th centuries BC. Since the late 1980s, there has been a tendency — and, in our opinion, incorrect — of rather sharp aging of the Central tomb, and, accordingly, of whole barrow 524 near the village Zhabotin. It began to date ca. 8th—7th centuries BC, 750—700 BC, not later than the end of the 8th century BC, and finally, ca. mid- 8th century BC. The Zhabotin 524 barrow began to be interpreted as the basic funeral monument of the Scythian archaic period in the Dnieper Right-Bank Forest-Steppe. In 2019, the complete study of the barrow was made. By the time of the excavation...

Дослідження  історії українського козацтва у XVI–XVIII ст. не втрачає своєї
актуальності, попри те, що ця тема перебуває у полі зору вітчизняних та зару-
біжних дослідників з XVIII–ХІХ ст. Однією з маловивчених проблем є меш-
кання козаків на Подолі – історичному міському районі, який із часів пізнього
Середньовіччя і до 1811 р. був економічним, політичним та культурним
центром Києва. На тогочасному Подолі розташовувався головний осередок ки-
ївського міського самоврядування – ратуша (магістрат), зосереджувалася біль-
шість населення Києва, відбувалася діяльність ремісничих цехів, проводилися
найбільші міські ярмарки, розташовувалися численні церкви та монастирі. Бі-
льшість населення київського Подолу складали міщани та цехові ремісники, що
перебували під юрисдикцією міської ратуші. Певну частку мешканців Подолу у
різний час становило біле та чорне православне та католицьке духовенство, ви-
кладачі та учні Києво-Могилянської школи (яка на початку XVIII ст. набула
статусу академії), урядовці та військовослужбовці Київського замку, шляхта,
представники вірменської та грецької громад.

This preliminary study characterizes the bronze metalworking on a defensive settlement of the Lusatian culture in former Kamieniec (Chełmno land, Poland) as it is reflected through casting workshop recovered during recent excavations. Among ready products, the ones giving evidence of local metallurgy (e.g. casting moulds and main runners) were also identified. With the shrinkage cavities and dendritic microstructures revealed, the artifacts prove the implementing a casting method by the Lusatian culture metalworkers. The elemental composition indicates application of two main types of bronzes: Cu-Sn and Cu-Pb. Aside these main alloying additions, some natural impurities such as silver, arsenic, antimony and nickel were found which may be attributed to the origin of the ore and casting technology. The collection from Kamieniec was described in terms of its structure and composition. The investigations were made by means of the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (ED-XRF...

The current state and issues facing universities in the Turkic Republics
were assessed in this study using empirical data based on the connection
between the information society and higher education. The research used a "case study" format, which is a type of qualitative research technique. A numerical analysis of the current state was also conducted using the "document analysis" method.
When we examine higher education in the Turkic Republics as a whole, we
discover that academic standards are not updated in line with education for the information society, academic research is not conducted in line with the philosophy of knowledge creation, academicians fail to guide university students in line with education for the information society, and graduate programs are unable to integrate information sector skills. Additionally, it is evident that universities in the concerned countries are unable to fulfill their obligations in accordance with the
needs of the information society when factors like the inability to update university curricula to meet those needs, a lack of academic study sharing, and a fall in the share of national income given to universities are added to the current situation.
The statistics are also negatively impacted by this situation. No university from the Turkic Republics is listed among the top 100 universities in the world, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) 2020 report, which is known as one of the most trustworthy university rankings in the world.
In the twenty-first century, modern society is moving towards a post-information society. During such a period, the Turkic Republics must not fall behind the times and must maintain a steady pace of development. To do this, they need to adapt to a new knowledge-based economic and social order, engage in the process of rapid technological change, and develop a new human model based on ideals that make continual learning a way of life based on the concept of "information person."
Keywords: Information society, university, challenges,Turkic Republics, student mobility, lifelong education,distant education

Discussion of the Helleno-Uralic etyma by their Uralic distributions and semantic categories, which are relied on to reconstruct the Helleno-Uralic horizon across northeastern Europe during contact in the Archaic period (ca. 800-500 BCE).  This sub-draft is to be incorporated into the second draft of "Helleno-Uralic Contact in the 1st Millennium BCE".

Статья вводит в научный оборот биметаллический чекан эпохи скифской архаики, найденный возле г. Ахтырка Сумской области (Украина), в бассейне р. Ворскла (Днепровское Лесостепное Левобережье). Место находки расположено примерно в 30 км от грандиозного Бельского городища скифской эпохи. Чекан из Ахтырки – второй достоверно обнаруженный экземпляр подобного ударного вооружения ближнего боя в Украине после чекана, что происходит из Орехово (Донецкая область). Публикация этого оружия послужила поводом для размышлений о месте биметаллических чеканов в кругу вооружения населения Евразии раннескифской эпохи, их генезиса, хронологии, путей распространения в огромном ареале – Прикубанье, Северный Кавказ, Закавказье, Малая и, возможно, Передняя Азия, Поволжье, Южное Приуралье, Центральная Азия (Приаралье), Юго-Западная Сибирь. Сегодня в этот ареал однозначно можно включить Северопричерноморскую Степь и Лесостепь современной Украины. Исследование подтверждает, что биметаллические чеканы являются надёжными маркерами маршрутов евразийских кочевников скифской эпохи, в том числе скифов периода знаменитых переднеазиатских походов.

The Erdel region, known today as Transylvania, is one of the oldest Turkish
homelands in Europe. In the region, which was ruled by the Hungarians in the historical process, there is a cultural continuity that is fed by history. Among the Romanian, Hungarian, German, and Gypsy minorities who have settled in this region for centuries; According to the Hungarian and Byzantine chronicles, they are the oldest inhabitants.

Although various theses have been put forward about the origins of the Székelys, the most acceptable thesis is the Hunnic-Hungarian thesis, based on the cultural transmissions of the Székelys and the consistent points in the chronicles. It has been observed that Székelys state that their origins are based on the Great Hunnic Empire and describe themselves as the descendants of Attila. They have kept their cultural heritage alive from the past to the present, both because of their protection from political assimilation due to being the strongest minority in the region, and their high devotion to their history and origins.

Symbols, which are the characteristic cultural elements of the Central Asian Turkish tribes and reflect the social life, beliefs, and worldview in the society, played a major role in the monitoring of this culture. In this study, firstly, Hungarians, the society from which the Székelys came from, were dealt with historically and culturally, based on the Hunnic-Hungarian thesis; Information was given about the ethnic origin, history and culture of the Székelys. Based on this information, the symbols in the cultural heritage that Székelys maintained until the 2000s were compared with the symbols determined in Central Asia in terms of meaning flow; The similarities were examined in terms of cultural aspects.

The article presents the characteristics of burial mounds of Timber-grave culture of Northern Azov. To analyze the structural features and scope of mound construction were involved only those mounds, the construction of which in one degree or another associated with the activity of Timber-grave culture tribes. The formation of most long barrows was associated with the construction of structural elements, as to their own barrows and the ancient mounds.

The article considers the bronze knives that have been found in the territory of Northern Azov in the burials ofTimber-grave culture. Metal production is one of the most studied categories of archaeological sources.The paper draws attention to the scarcity and the special importanceof this type of funeral inventory in the process of historical
constructions.Despite the fact that the range of bronze wares in the Late Bronze Age is wide enough, for settlements and burials ofTimber-grave culture of this region is a relatively rare category of finds.Are currently the fund of sources ofTimber-grave cultureof Northern Azov includes about 1,500 burials.It should be noted that the bronze objects were found only in the 44 burial complexes, which is about 2,9 % of the total number of taken into account graves.Mapping of the Timber-grave culture burials of Northern Azov containing the metal products, clearly demonstrated a tendency to decrease the proportion of burials with metal in moving to the south to the Sea of Azov.In this case, the fact of the presence of metal products in the funeral inventory of the Timber-grave culture burial sites in relation to the territory of Northern Azov can be considered as a sign of social unordinary.Complexes, containing the bronze knives, were used to determine the absolute chronology of burials of Timber-grave culture community.Analysis of the sources available to us, indicates that materials of burials can provide important information about the level of production of metal in the Late Bronze Age.Introduction to the scientific turn of evidence metal production of Timber-grave culture community as a whole andTimber-grave cultureof Northern Azov in particular greatly
complements the fund of sources.It is important for the structural and technological approach in understanding metal production as a system.

Забавин В.О. ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА ПОГРЕБАЛЬНЫХ СООРУЖЕНИЙ СРУБНОЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ СЕВЕРНОГО ПРИАЗОВЬЯ Реферат: В статье представлена развернутая характеристика погребальных сооружений срубной культуры Северного Приазовья, включающая в себя как набор статистических данных, так и описание отдельных элементов погребального сооружения, позволяющих говорить об устойчивости тех или иных проявлений и элементов обряда. Анализ погребального сооружения, рассматриваемого в качестве составной части погребального обряда, включает в себя описание формы и размеров могильной ямы, ее конструктивных особенностей, а также внутримогильных и надмогильных сооружений из древесины и камня. Данная тема специально не исследовалась, ее отдельные аспекты нашли отображение в трудах, которые либо охватывали более широкий круг вопросов, либо регионально не совпадали с очерченным ареалом, являясь достаточно сжатыми по объему. В настоящее время до сих пор отсутствует работа, в которой была бы представлена развернутая характеристика погребальных сооружений срубной культуры Северного Приазовья, которая включала бы в себя не только описание отдельных элементов погребального сооружения, но и набор статистических данных, позволяющих говорить об устойчивости тех или иных проявлений и элементов обряда. Ставшие доступными в последние годы материалы раскопок и расширение географических рамок исследования на все Северное Приазовье, позволяют внести определенные дополнения к выводам авторов. Выявленные закономерности позволяют с уверенностью утверждать, что конструктивные особенности могильных сооружений, как составная часть погребальных традиций срубной культуры Северного Приазовья, находятся в прямой зависимости от природно-географических условий обитания и обусловлены характером строительного материала, имеющегося в том либо ином регионе.

Essay of History of studying antiquities of Timber-Grave Culture
of the North Azov region in the XIX – early XX century.
This paper is the fi rst part of the voluminous article devoted to the questions of examines the history of archaeological research burials of Timber-Grave Culture in the North Azov sea region in the
XIX – early XX century. Covers the fi rst attempts to create an internal periodization of the Bronze Age and ordering produced during the fi eldwork material. Analysis questions the level of excavation
techniques, recording materials and state of the fi eld records.

The issue of Iranian sources used by Ctesias has always been disputed in the last two centuries. These sources can be study divided into two groups: written and narrative. The question of the possible use of Iranian sources by Ctesias has been analyzed in this paper from four points of view. First, we examined the Iranian sources of Ctesias. Then, the significance of the role of Balkh, Balkhians and Scythians in Ctesias's narrative was discussed. In the third step, we discussed the importance and role of the land of Media. In the fourth step, the three names of Oxyartes, Spitāmas and Damaspia was selected and studied from the personal names with Zoroastrian roots, that reached us through the traditions, handed down from Ctesias - such as Photius and Diodorus. In addition, historical documents were searched for witnesses or historical evidence for these personal names.These names are confirmed by many classical texts, Zoroastrian religious tradition and official documents of the Achaemenid administration. It is also mentioned the relationship between these personal names and the mentioned lands, namely Balkh and Media. Finally, the result of the present research show the existence of Iranian written and narrative sources used by Ctesias and prove that Ctesias was probably right in his claim that he used official documents and relied on oral sources.

Raiders, slavers, empire builders. Some thoughts on the Vettersfelde hoard
Amazingly, the most spectacular example of Archaic Graeco-Scythian art to have survived from antiquity was found in 1882 in a swampy field near the village of Vettersfelde/Witaszkowo, just 140 kilometres south-east of Berlin. In this paper, the gold hoard is presented as a coherent ensemble, the ostentatious, lavishly decorated regalia of a North Pontic warrior, probably made in a Milesian Black Sea colony in the later 6th century BC as a diplomatic gift. Excavations at the findspot in 2002 and 2004 revealed that the treasure had been intentionally deposited on the edge of a pond/spring in a region which was part of the north-westerly landscape affected by steppe warrior/“Scythian” raiding in the later 6th century BC. These raids affected large parts of central Europe and were extremely disruptive, depopulating a series of landscapes in the eastern Hallstatt region, and were probably linked to systematic slaving. In a final section, the paper explores the corrosive impact of this slaving by analogy with the structure and effects of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in 16th–18th-century West Africa.

The article presents the partial results of archaeological research carried out on the burgwall zolnik in Chotyniec, site 1. It aims to classify the historical objects discovered in terms of functional qualification – namely, the pins that were found in 2017-2019, and to introduce them into the scientific circulation. This interesting and relatively numerous series of artifacts complements and enriches our knowledge on many aspects of the zolnik’s function, including its chronology and cultural connections. In this sketch, an analysis of the typological and chronological position of the pins was carried out, and on its basis an attempt was made to estimate the dating of the zolnik (the usable levels that form it).

In 2017, an expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the University of Rzeszów (Poland) carried out excavations on a hillfort belonging to the Scythian cultural circle (its forest-steppe variant) in Chotyniec, in south-eastern Poland. The hillfort is the central and most important point of a large settlement cluster, which is the furthest north-western enclave of this cultural circle. In an excavated cult object – the so-called ‘zolnik’ – we made an interesting discovery. Here we show this unique finding for the first time: a Greek wine amphora, from the beginning of the sixth century BC. We were able to explore and reconstruct it almost entirely. Amphora is the only artefact of this type found in the present Polish borders. The amphora was subjected to archaeometric research with the use of PLM, SEM/EDS, TXRF and ToF SIMS. The massive fabric was made of high calcium clay enriched in quartz and volcanic lithoclasts. The lack of chromium and nickel among trace elements makes the ...

The article introduces the burial complex investigated in 2021 by a joint expedition of the Historical and Cultural Reserve «Bilsk» and V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University in the Skorobir burial mound necropolis in the western district of the Bilsk settlement. Despite the fact that the burial mound was looted in ancient times, it was possible to trace the  peculiarities of the creation of the burial structure and the main features of the burial rite.
A burial site was discovered under the barrow mound, which was looted back in ancient times. Only a small part of this complex remained intact. The burial chamber was a simple rectangular pit with an area of 7.15 m2 , oriented along the northeast-southwest line. A 2.75 m long dromos adjoined the pit from the southwest, which was recorded for the first time in the necropolises of the Bilsk fortified settlement for burials of
the Early Scythian period. The floor of the grave was lined with longitudinal wooden boards, which were placed on transverse logs, fixed in grooves dug near the southern and northern walls of the grave. The grave was not covered with soil, it was covered with wooden logs, the remains of which were fixed. Molded pottery (bowls, ladles, and ladles) was left on the ceiling, which fell into the burial chamber after the ceiling was destroyed. Based on the categories of funeral inventory it can be said with certainty that a woman was buried in the grave with her head facing southwest. Beads made of glass and rock crystal, as well as gold rosette plaques, indicate the rather high social status of the deceased, who probably belonged to representatives of the local elite. The set of accompanying inventory allows us to date the burial in barrow 1/2021 to the first quarter of the 6th century BC.
Mound 1/2021 demonstrates the close burial traditions of the local population of the Early Scythian period and has certain correspondences among the mounds of the Bilsk burial grounds, first of all, the burial complexes of the first half of the 6th century BC, which have been studied in recent years in the southern part part of the Skorobir necropolis, the largest of those located near the Bilsk fortified settlement. The traced general features of the burial rite are typical for the burial mounds of the Bilsk hillfort

The paper is dedicated to 95 th anniversary of the national artist of Azerbaijan Rasim Babayev who immensely contributed to artistic culture of the country in XX century. Babayev tried all forms and genres of painting and graphics, and later moved on to decorate ceramics, manufacture tiles, carve figures from stone and make installations-his favourite funny ogres and maidens-characters from Azerbaijani tales. First part of the paper describes youth period of artist, his education and initial period of creativity as freedom-loving artist. Middle part of the article analyses formation of painter's personal creative artistic language. A number of creativity stages are being reviewed, genres in which searches of his idiolect are described. The last part of the paper reviews the main theme of Babayev's creativityseries of works "Ogres","Angels". Landscape, portrait here are reimagined into new, synthetic genre of modern Azeri painting. Artist finds his personal language, decorative, vanguard, emotional, and emanating from national form. Rasim Babayev was a national painter, whose painting bears the imprint of the Turkic ethnos; but that was not a matter of the painter's choice, not his rational decision, it was the natural outcome of his talent. The canvases of Rasim Babayev feature the colours of our southern land, mixed in the ethnic codes living on in carpets, mugham, miniatures, Sufi philosophy and poetry, in the refined and powerful form of calligraphy. Also the paper reviews creativity of Rasim Babayev in the context of Islamic culture and Islamic values. Mental searchers of the painter in the field of Sufi psychology revealing in his creativity are studied as well.

The paper is devoted to the issue of reconstruction
of the lifeways and economics of the part of tribes in
the forest-steppe region of the Left Bank of Dnieper
during the Scythian period. The question of the role
of nomads and semi nomads in the ethnic and cultural
history of the population is one of the most important,
since the correct assessment of the interaction between
the forest-steppe agricultural population and the different
groups of nomads depends on the reconstruction
of ethnic processes in the Left-bank forest-steppe during
Scythian time. It can be assumed that the Dnieper
Left-bank forest-steppe by its environment and convenient
ways attracted both farmers and nomads. This
led to the use of several ecological niches, which was
reflected in the spread of the settlement structure of
farmers in the areas that are most suitable for agriculture
(chernozem soils of various types) and rich in resources
for life, construction, etc. (access to water, forest
areas). The nomadic population that has subjugated
farmers has repeatedly penetrated the region several
times. Nomads mostly used the steppe areas and floodplains
of the region, leaving behind the main type of
sites — the mounds, burial rites of which are fundamentally
different from the settled agricultural population.
The study proposes the conditional use of the term
«nomads» for groups of mobile pastoralists only at the
time of their penetration into the region. In the new
conditions, their lifeways significantly changed. The
term reflects a transition to mobile stockbreeding within
a limited territory of movement, permanent winter
houses near the settlements and hillforts of the settled
population of the region, prevailing transhumance, etc.
At the moment, the term «semi nomads» is the most
adequate for those groups of mobile pastoralists who
remained in the forest-steppe region of the Left Bank
of Dnieper during the Scythian time. Judging by the
flat necropolis in Barvinkova Gora tract near Bilsk
hillfort, a part of the migrants from the south turned
to a sedentary way of life in the 4th century BC. In general,
it can be assumed that the migration of nomads
into the region significantly impacted lifeways of the
local sedentary population.

Polidovych Yu.B.
Mysterious ritual objects of the Scythians: searching the answers

The paper is devoted to the analysis of versions of the probable use of gold cone-shaped objects that were in use from the last decades of the 6th centuries BC to the end of the 4th centuries BC. They are differ in size (base diameter varies from 5 to 19.8 cm, height — from 4 to 18 cm) and some shape features. At the same time, they are characterized by hollowness, a wide round base, which is usually 1.2—2.0 times greater than the height, and the obligatory presence (with two excep tions) of a small round hole in the «upper» part. All of them are made of gold or covered with this precious metal. Currently 26 such objects are known, and they originate from 19 assemblages from the Northern Pon tic and Azov Sea regions (12), the Middle Don (1), the North Caucasus (2) and the Southern Urals (4).
The context of finding objects is considered in detail. It is concluded that they were mostly worn attached to the gorytos. This is also confirmed by the images on the stone sculpture. It is believed that the cones could have been a decoration of the gorytos or a sign of prestige. But, probably, the purpose of these items was different. Some of the cones were found in ritual complexes — hiding places within the burial chamber or next to the burial.
Researchers have put the different versions of the possible functional purpose of cone-shaped objects: ritual objects, part of a ceremonial headdress; a cap for tassels that were tied to the horse’s neck; pommel of a standard or staff; «case» for storing scalps; censer; ritual utensils. But most versions are based on arbitrary assumptions that contradict both the archaeological context of the find and the general cultural context.
From all versions, it is probable that the majority of the cones were used as ritual vessels for sacrifice by pouring out liquid. In several cases, these objects were found in caches together with ritual utensils. Other examples of ritual vessels with holes in the bottom are known. Some objects have a decoration in the form of a rosette (it surrounds the hole) which is placed only at the bottom of the bowls. It is possible that Herodotus’ information about the bowls that the Scythians wore on their belts is related to these objects. They could be used for sacrifices to «Scythian Ares», which we also know about from Herodotus’ «History».

У статті обґрунтовується функціональне призначення декількох предметів з «Мельгуновського скарбу» — золотої пластини із зображенням мавпи та трьох птахів як обкладки піхов клинкової
зброї та 17 блях у вигляді хижого птаха як елемента декору горита.

The «Melgunov hoard» — a burial or burial-commemorative complex, which has been found during the excavations of the Lyta Mohyla in 1763, contained several items, functional destination of which is ambiguous.
In particular, the gold plate with a depiction of a monkey and three birds is considered by most researchers to be a headdress decoration. However, the characters reproduced on the Melgunov plate in terms of nomenclature and represented subjects are close to the images on precious tableware made by Middle Eastern masters at different times.
Therefore, it is more likely that this plate was cut from a thin-walled gold cup and was used to decorate the scabbard of a bladed weapon — a dagger or a long knife. Possessing two items of bladed weapons was
widespread among the Scythians and it is recorded both in burials and on depiction of stone statues.
17 plates in the form of a predatory bird are most often classified as belt decorations. But the presence of a gorytos in a burial and the established tradition of decorating arrow cases with gold plates give grounds
for attributing these plates precisely as decorations of the gorytos. It does not contradict the area covered with sheets of the gorytos area; a composition formed by several rows of plates is possible; the image of a predatory bird is used; fastening to the leather base with the help of wide loops.
One more item of bladed weapons in precious scabbard and a ceremonial gorytos, decorated with gold plates, confirm the high — royal — status of the owner of the set of items from the Lyta Mohyla. The proposed
attributions, which assume the possible presence of several items of bladed weapons and a gorytos covered with precious plates in the burial complex, find full correspondence among the stable traditions of the
Scythian culture.

Xenophon’s data about the ethnic composition of Armenia has been repeatedly examined in the professional literature, and the researchers have often expressed opposing opinions about the ethnogeographical realities of Ancient Armenia. We have touched upon these issues, too, which allowed us to examine the information given by Strabo that caused disagreements.
The examination of the ancient sources shows that a part of the tribe called Iranian Phasians lived in the vicinity of the present-day city of Poti in Western Georgia, and Armenian Phasians were located in the upper courses of the Yeraskh River and the sources of the Ułtis River. The existence of Phasians in the north indicates that the Phasians established in Armenia having moved from the Caucasus and most likely settled in Anpayt Basean initially, gradually spreading to the south, to Basean, firmly retaining their name in the canton name.
During their invasions the Scythian tribes also settled in different parts of Armenia: the Phasians in the canton of Basean, and the so-called Asii Scythians in the canton of Aseatspor. Moreover, the Asian Asii and Pasiani indicated by Strabo can be considered the Central Asian branch of the Asii and Phasians mentioned in Armenia. What is important both in Xenophon’s and Strabo’s accounts is that the mentioned tribes are mentioned side by side, with almost the same names, and are considered the Scythian people.
During the Scythian invasions, the Scythian Asii and Phasiani tribes, settled in the Armenian Highland had already assimilated with the Armenians by the end of 5th century BC and kept their name only in geographical names.
As for Strabo’s information about the Central Asian Asii and Pasiani tribes, these were also Scythian tribes and some part of them lived in Armenia, Western Georgia and the North Caucasus.

Demir Çağı’nda Karadeniz’in kuzeyinde birçok bozkır toplumunun varlığı dikkat çekmekle birlikte, bu toplumların bu bölgedeki egemenliklerinin an-cak sonrasında gelen diğer bir bozkır toplumunun eliyle sonlanabildiği gö-rülmektedir. Kimmerler, İskitler ve Sarmatlar; sırasıyla birbirleri arasında giriştikleri mücadeleler sonucunda arada herhangi bir kesinti olmadan Kuzey Karadeniz’deki bozkır toplumları egemenliğini birbirine devrederek devam ettirmişlerdir. Kimmerler döneminde bölgedeki politik yapılanmayla ilgili yazılı kaynaklarda yeterli bilgi bulun-mamakla birlikte İskitler döneminde Kuzey Karadeniz’deki barış ve refah ortamının olağanüstü artırıldığı bilinmektedir. Sarmatlar, İskitlerden devraldıkları Kuzey Kara-deniz egemenliğini bölgedeki halkları mutlu edebilecek biçimde yapılandıramamış, tümüyle baskı ve asimilasyon politikasına geçerek koloni kentlerinde uzun yüzyıllardır devam ettirilen ekonomik-politik istikrar dönemini yıpratmıştır. Bu çalışma; Demir Çağı’nda Karadeniz ve çevresindeki bozkır toplumlarının politik rolünü açıklayarak bölgede bulunan diğer toplumlar üzerinde kurduğu politik yapılanma ve hegemonya-nın altyapısı ve sonuçlarını değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Antennae traditions in Scythian milieu: in a search of the prototype 1 'You know what to beautify is, I suppose?' 'Yes', said Alice, doubtfully: 'it means to make anything prettier'. 'Well then', the Gryphon went on, 'if you don't know what to uglify is, you are a simpleton'. 2 The unusual design of the pommels of akinakai in the form of antennae or volutes attracted the attention of researchers of Scythian blade weaponry relatively early, and the pommel shape lies at the basis of almost all known classification schemes of Scythian swords and daggers. 3 As regards the origin of the antenna pommel in the Scythian milieu, E. Lenz, 4 E. Minns, 5 M.I. Rostovtseff 6 and W. Ginters 7 drew attention to the remarkable similarity of this type of decoration on the akinakai with those made in the late Bronze Age and Hallstatt periods in central Europe. M.I. Rostovtseff, for example, imagined the emergence of the antenna hilt to be the possible result of a combination of 'western' (Hallstattian?) and 'eastern Animal Style' forms. 8 W. Ginters considered the antenna pommel of the Scythian sword to be a later phenomenon in comparison with other types of the pommel. 9 He noted that the akinakai with antenna pommels co-exist with

While it is usually assumed that these are two different people, I argue that Ardumanis is a malevolent nickname assigned to Aspačana by Darius, reflectng a story thus proven to be true of how he as a boy had been shot by Cambyses (tho not killed as per Herodotus but only superficially hurt).  This is evident from the etymology of the "name", which of course the Omniscient Specialists will never so much as allow to be heard much less accept since THEY didnt think of it first (as if they could).  I also point out that there are others cases where a person with a real name has some such nickname in Darius's inscriptions, tho the others have yet to deciphered. (Vahuka, Thukra, Skunkha, and maybe more).  It all illustrates the same methodological points I keep demonstrating for decades--plus contributes to the case for (a) Darius being an even more horrible person than we knew, and hence the nature of POWER in any social system (yes, academia too), (b) Herodotus' accounts of everything but in this case the excesses of Cambyses (while sometimes exaggerated) are basically even more reilable than we knew, and (c) one approach to etymology, hist ling, philology, history (and many other things) is superior to another--and being ignored because that IS the nature of power in academia too.