Which groups lived in the Don River valley during ancient and medieval times?

The Don River valley has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic period (40,000–13,000 years ago). By the beginning of the 2nd century BCE, the region was occupied by tribes of herdsmen who practiced livestock raising and agriculture.1

During ancient and medieval times, several notable groups inhabited or controlled the Don River valley:

• Scythians: These early inhabitants were eventually conquered and replaced by the Sarmatians in the 4th century BCE.2
• Sarmatians: Originally from Central Asia, this Iranian-speaking people controlled the land between the Ural Mountains and the Don River by the 5th century BCE. They became the dominant power in southern Russia by the 2nd century CE before being overwhelmed by the Goths and later the Huns.2
• Khazars: In the medieval period, this confederation of Turkic-speaking tribes established a major commercial empire. By the 8th century, their influence extended to the Don River, where they exacted tribute from various groups, including the Magyars (Hungarians) inhabiting the area around the Donets River.3
• Tatars: This group conquered the region during the first half of the 13th century CE.1
• Don Cossacks: By the 16th century, these famed groups established independent military settlements along the middle and lower Don.1