Scythians

There was a large group of such people between the Black Sea and Central Asia. Scythians were Iranian-speaking nomads. Iran has prominent Neanderthal sites too. Neanderthals emerged circa 300000 years ago. Just before this time Caspian Sea was dry. Water level dropped 30 – 50 metres below present. Just 2 lakes remained. Rising sea could prompt large-scale migration of previous hominids. Wide area to the East from Caspian presented excellent conditions for prehistoric hunters. There were abundant game and fresh water. Rocky desert supplied stone tools. Hominids dwelled hundreds of thousands of years there.

At the other side of the sea, landscape was formed by 2 lengthy processes. Sea level substantially oscillated over millennia. Simultaneously, the mountains of the Greater Caucasus rose. This was a lengthy process which began 30 Ma BCE, sharply increased 5 Ma BCE and 2.5 Ma BCE when hominids emerged, and continues into the 3 millennium CE. Elbrus and Kazbek are volcanoes.

Mount Elbrus viewed from the south in Russia.

Elbrus erupted 200 Ka, then 33, 21, 8, 6, 5 Ka ago, even possibly 2 and 1 Ka ago.

Kazbek, 5047 m.

Kazbek erupted 40 Ka ago. Oscillating sea level plus the rise of mountains created terraces. They may be elevated up to 400 m, but Dagestan has many terraces above this. They are artificial and were created for agriculture in the range from 900 to 2400 m above sea level, that is in cold zone. Human agriculture started here in the 3 or 2 millennium BCE, well after Neanderthals. Nevertheless somebody taught humans how to do it.

Ruins of ancient Vainakh settlement with agricultural terraces behind.

This is remains of terraces in Ingushetia. Mountains are even higher here.

Claims that agriculture began some 10 Ka in South East Anatolia are disputable. Aboriginal tribes of Brazilian rainforest practice a primitive form of agriculture by taking care of local plants. This could start much earlier. At the end of the 20 century, terrain at Gobekli Tepe looked as desert.

Gobekli Tepe.

What could exist in this region – a large-scale cult which taught and disseminated plant cultivation. Foothills of the Caucasus near Caspian sea are also arid, but a narrow strip along the coast hides a miracle. There is true rainforest here. Thick oak trees are intertwined by lianas.

When such strips were elevated to the next stair of the terrace, the forest died and created a thick layer of fertile soil. European Neanderthals were inventors. They tried to create an artificial environment in harsh climate. In Europe it was cold. Here – drought, but mountains can supply water. Find it and you will revive green nature.

As this business grew, they needed slaves. A Mesopotamian legend tells about 2 different peoples of gods: Igigi and Anunnaki. The latter lived on mountains while the former were agricultural workers for them. Imagine a flourishing civilization of Neanderthals and new migrants from green Africa in West Asia. They sought a better life, but found only dry desert. Suddenly, they discover a green patch and the host explains: "You may live here, only must work."

Inundation of the Caspian sea may be the prototype of the Flood Myth. This happened more often than with the Black or Mediterranean seas.

Photograph of the Aras from space.

The Aras river flows just 30 km from mount Ararat and finally reaches the Caspian Sea. In the past, the Black and Caspian seas were connected by the Thanscaucasian strait. Lake Sevan is a remain of this sea. Over time, different parts of this area ascended and descended. A large bay of the Caspian sea existed in place of the Aras valley. The Old Testament doesn't claim that Noah's Arc moored on the summit. Just near, on the mountains of Ararat. The problem is that this was possible only very long ago. How old is our civilization? Noah's arc was not a ship in modern sense. Rather – a floating house. In any case, the Caspian sea had both wood and oil necessary for such job. Flooding of the Caspian basin happened many times. If humans already built wooden houses here, this invention could happen accidentally.