Cimmerians facts for kids

The Cimmerians were ancient people who rode horses and moved around a lot. They were known as nomads. Their origins are linked to the Indo-European groups.

Who Were the Cimmerians?

The Cimmerians were a group of people who lived a long time ago. They were known for riding horses. They did not stay in one place for long. Instead, they moved from area to area. This way of life is called being a nomad.

Where Did They Live?

The Greek historian Herodotus wrote about the Cimmerians. He said they lived north of the Caucasus mountains. This area is also near the Black Sea. This was during the 8th and 7th centuries BC.

Today, this region includes parts of Ukraine and Russia. However, some experts say there is no strong proof of Cimmerians living in southern Russia.

What About Their Origins?

It is not fully clear where the Cimmerians came from. Many historians think they spoke languages related to Iranian or Thracian. These are ancient language groups.

New studies using DNA have given us more clues. In 2018, DNA from three Cimmerians was studied. This study showed that some Cimmerians had DNA from East Asia. This suggests that some of these ancient nomads might have come from the Far East. For example, some DNA pointed to the Altai Mountains.

Another study in 2019 looked at two more Cimmerians. Their DNA was linked to different European groups. This means the Cimmerians might have been a mix of people. They could have had roots in both Asia and Europe. This shows that their history is quite complex.

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