Ancient people in Russia appeared in time immemorial. About 700 thousand years ago, they first settled in its southern territories - on the banks of the Kuban River and the North Caucasus. The climate here was mild, nature was rich in plant and animal food, so ancient people did not make any special efforts to obtain it, but appropriated gifts.
Ice Age
Ancient people in Russia could not live alone, as there were many dangers, so they began to unite in groups called the primitive human herd. Together they got food, defended themselves from predators and supported the fire. But about 80 thousand years ago, living conditions deteriorated sharply. Ice cold bound the northern territories of our continent. From the border of the glacier lay the boundless tundra, to the south, up to the Black Sea - the cold steppe. The inhabitants also changed: instead of heat-loving animals, woolly ones appeared, such as mammoths, rhinos, bison, horses, and reindeer.
The man had a hard time, but he adapted. His main occupation was nowdriven hunting. The need for heating forced the ancient man not only to maintain the fire, but also to master the wisdom of its prey. Gradually, people settled to the north, despite the difficult living conditions. An ancient human site was discovered on the territory of Ukraine, in the Middle and Lower Volga regions.
Then the human herd was replaced by a tribal community uniting blood relatives. Several of these communities made up a tribe. The conditions of life changed, and with them the appearance of man. It took its modern form about 40 thousand years ago.
Agriculture, cattle breeding
Due to the fact that the ice age came to an end about 12-14 thousand years ago, many large animals died out, so hunting and gathering could no longer feed people. New sources of livelihood were born. Gathering smoothly turns into agriculture in the south of the country about 5-6 thousand years ago. In parallel, there is a process of transition from hunting to cattle breeding. Ancient man tamed a dog, a horse, a pig, a goat. Required products are now produced instead of assigned.
Artisans appear
The ancient people gradually learned how to spin, weave and sew clothes, burn clay and make dishes from ceramics. The lands of the north went to explore, applying new achievements in the field of vehicles. On sleds, skis and boats, everyone walked and walked until they reached the shores of the B altic and the Arctic Ocean.
The material culture of ancient people rises to a new level due to the acquisition of skills inmetal processing. With the help of metal tools, the earth became more pliable. During the production of stocks of products, surpluses began to arise, which served as subjects of exchange between the tribes. The processing of iron and other materials required great skills and experience, so there were people involved in a certain craft. Artisans were of great benefit, they produced tools and various products.
Ethnic groups to the beginning of a new era
Ancient people on the territory of modern Russia (table No. 1, No. 2), according to the studies of historians and linguists, lived in a numerous ethnic group. In the European part, the Finnish tribes soon became Slavic and played a fundamental role in the development of the Russian population. Today, there are only a few hundred Kets left in the Middle Yenisei, and Yukaghirs in the Kolyma.
The ancient people on the territory of modern Russia (table No. 2) were one of the first to master the North Caucasus, and according to scientists, only religion changed there during this time. At first, Christianity spread, but over time it was supplanted by Islam.
Paganism is interspersed with a new religion in modern times. The North Caucasus, the lower reaches of the Don and Volga, along the southern edge of Siberia and in Altai - this is the territory of the ancient nomadic tribes of the Scythians-Sarmatians, the Caucasus and the Don - the refuge of the Alans, the Saks lived to the east. In the Middle Ages they mixed with the Polovtsians. During the invasion of Batu Khan, part of the descendants of the Alans hid in the mountains, so they survived - these are the ancestors of modern Ossetians.
Where ancient people lived on the territory of modernRussia? Table No. 1 clearly demonstrates this.
| Location | Tribes |
| Central and north European part | Finnish: all, Chud, Muroma, Merya. |
| Northeast | Finnish (ancestors of the current ones): Estonians, Finns, Karelians, Komi, Mordovians. |
| South of the Urals and Siberia | Ugric peoples, progenitors of the Khanty and Mansi. |
Of course, this is not all the ancient people on the territory of modern Russia. Table 2 continues the first.
| Location | Peoples |
| East to Altai and Sayan | Ancestors of Samoyed peoples: Nenets, Selkups |
| Eastern Siberia | Hunting tribes: Khets, Yukagirs |
| Far East | Future Nivkhs, Koryaks, Chukchi, Eskimos |
| North Caucasus | Kasogs (later Circassians), Obes (ancestors of the Abkhazians) |
Bosporan state
After the improvement of tools, many families could manage their household independently, so family ties are weakening. The tribal community is replaced by a neighboring (territorial) community. People are united on the basis of residence in a certain territory. Tribes with close economic ties unite in tribal unions. They are led by rulers. These changes lead to the collapse of the primitive communal system and the emergence of a new organizational form - the state.
The first states emerged in the south of Russia. Greek navigators in the 7th-6th centuries BC. e. founded city-states on the Black Sea coast (east and north). Cities near the Kerch Strait in the 5th century BC united into the Bosporus kingdom, which became the richest state on the northern part of the Black Sea coast.
Scythian kingdom
The neighbors of the Greeks were Iranian-speaking tribes, who received the common name of the Scythians. The Scythian tribes were divided into pastoral, who were nomadic, and agricultural, who led a settled way of life. The land of the Scythians was desired by many conquerors, so the tribes united to repel the blow. The most powerful leader stood at the head of the union and proclaimed himself king. So a new state appeared - the Scythian kingdom.
In the 4th century BC, it stretched from the Danube to the steppes of the Crimea. From the 3rd century BC e. the states of the northern Black Sea coast began to be invaded by nomadic tribes such as the Sarmatians, Goths, and Huns. The attack of the Huns in the 4th century wiped out the first states on the territory of the northern Black Sea coast.
