<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> The Scythians (/ ˈsɪθi. ən / or / ˈsɪði. ən /; from Greek Σκύθης, Σκύθοι), also known as Scyth, Saka, Sakae, Sai, Iskuzai, or Askuzai, were Eurasian nomads, probably mostly using Eastern Iranian languages, who were mentioned by the literate peoples surrounding them as inhabiting large areas in the central Eurasian steppes from about the 9th century BC up until the 4th century AD . The "classical Scythians" known to ancient Greek historians, agreed to be mainly Iranian in origin, were located in the northern Black Sea and fore - Caucasus region . Other Scythian groups documented by Assyrian, Achaemenid and Chinese sources show that they also existed in Central Asia, where they were referred to as the Iskuzai / Askuzai, Saka (Old Persian: Sakā; New Persian / Pashto: ساکا ‎; Sanskrit: शक Śaka; Greek: Σάκαι; Latin: Sacae), and Sai (Chinese: 塞; Old Chinese: * sʕək), respectively . </P> <P> The relationships between the peoples living in these widely separated regions remains unclear, and the term is used in a broad and narrow sense . The term "Scythian" is used by modern scholars in an archaeological context for finds perceived to display attributes of the wider "Scytho - Siberian" culture, usually without implying an ethnic or linguistic connotation . The term Scythic may also be used in a similar way, "to describe a special phase that followed the widespread diffusion of mounted nomadism, characterized by the presence of special weapons, horse gear, and animal art in the form of metal plaques". Their westernmost territories during the Iron Age were known to classical Greek sources as Scythia, and in the more narrow sense "Scythian" is restricted to these areas, where the Scythian languages were spoken . Different definitions of "Scythian" have been used, leading to a good deal of confusion . </P>

A scythian nomad of central asia would have also been known as