I've found some electronic confirmation of a few of the things I'd summarised about the Shakas above, in Microsoft Encarta 1996 [Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 1996. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.]
I know that this counts as material from the Age of Propaganda, but the following does not appear to impact on the AIT (other than a mention of the IE language family).
1. Scythia:<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Scythia</b>, name given by the ancient Greeks after about 800 BC to the homeland of the Scythians in the southeast part of Europe, eastward from the Carpathian Mountains to the Don River; this region was seized by the Sarmatians in the 4th century BC and became known as Sarmatia. The name Scythia was sometimes applied by ancient geographers to the greater part of southeastern Europe and Central Asia, from the Danube River to the mountains of Turkestan.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
2. Scythians:<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Scythians</b>, name given by ancient Greek writers to a number of nomadic tribes of southeastern Europe and Asia. The name was used either for the Scythians proper, or Scolots, dwelling north of the Black Sea, between the Carpathian Mountains and the Don River, in what is now Moldova, Ukraine, and eastern Russia; or for all the nomad tribes who inhabited the steppes eastward from what is now Hungary to the mountains of Turkestan. The tribes are believed to have migrated to these areas from the region of the Altai Mountains, on the border of China, during the 8th century BC. Their speech was a form of Iranian, one of the branches of the Indo-European languages. Scythians kept herds of horses, cattle, and sheep, lived in tent-covered wagons, and fought with bows and arrows on horseback. They developed a rich culture characterized by opulent tombs, fine metalwork, and a brilliant art style.
In the early 7th century BC the Scythians advanced south of the Caspian Sea and invaded the kingdom of Media, but they were expelled in 625 by Cyaxares, king of Media. Shortly after the middle of the 4th century BC the Scythians of southeastern Europe were subdued and largely exterminated by the Sarmatians, who then gave their name to the region. The Scythian tribes in Asia, however, invaded the Parthian Empire, southeast of the Caspian Sea, in the 2nd century BC. About 130 BC they advanced eastward into the kingdom of Bactria, in the region of present-day Afghanistan, and in the 1st century BC they invaded western and northern India, where they remained powerful for five centuries.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
- Scythia: upto Turkestan in the East. Scythian tribes included those upto Turkestan
- therefore, only language, not ethnicity is confirmed: Iranian language(s) are what they spoke
- invaded Iranian (prob. Zoroastrian) kingdom of Parthia as well invading Media which was Iranian going by the king's name
- Invaded India only as late as 1st century bce
Also from same source, entry on Sarmations (who seized Scythian regions E of Carpathian mountains):<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Sarmatians</b>, ancient nomadic and pastoral people, speaking an Indo-Iranian language, who in the 5th century BC, according to accounts by the contemporary Greek historian Herodotus, lived between the Caspian Sea, the Don River, and the Sea of Azov (an area that is now part of Russia). By the 3rd century BC, they had subdued the Scythians of the great plains north of the Black Sea and their territory extended from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and from the Vistula River to the Volga River. They remained dominant in this area until they were overpowered by the Goths from the west in the 3rd century AD and by the Huns from Asia in the 4th century. Among the Sarmatian tribes were the Alans, Roxolani, and Iazyges.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Mark well, according to this article:
- the Sarmatians, who had settled in what is now a land of Slavonic speakers, spoke an Indo-Iranian language. That is either Indian or Iranian (or the unattested Indo-Iranian parent language). <i>Not</i> a European language.
- They were already living in that area in the 5th century bce, when they arrived there is not noted. They were 'overpowered' by the Germanic-speaking Goths and the Huns and were undoubtedly sent packing.
- Alans being a Sarmatian tribe means they also spoke 'Indo-Iranian', not Celtic or any other European language even as per IE family categorisation.
I know that this counts as material from the Age of Propaganda, but the following does not appear to impact on the AIT (other than a mention of the IE language family).
1. Scythia:<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Scythia</b>, name given by the ancient Greeks after about 800 BC to the homeland of the Scythians in the southeast part of Europe, eastward from the Carpathian Mountains to the Don River; this region was seized by the Sarmatians in the 4th century BC and became known as Sarmatia. The name Scythia was sometimes applied by ancient geographers to the greater part of southeastern Europe and Central Asia, from the Danube River to the mountains of Turkestan.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
2. Scythians:<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Scythians</b>, name given by ancient Greek writers to a number of nomadic tribes of southeastern Europe and Asia. The name was used either for the Scythians proper, or Scolots, dwelling north of the Black Sea, between the Carpathian Mountains and the Don River, in what is now Moldova, Ukraine, and eastern Russia; or for all the nomad tribes who inhabited the steppes eastward from what is now Hungary to the mountains of Turkestan. The tribes are believed to have migrated to these areas from the region of the Altai Mountains, on the border of China, during the 8th century BC. Their speech was a form of Iranian, one of the branches of the Indo-European languages. Scythians kept herds of horses, cattle, and sheep, lived in tent-covered wagons, and fought with bows and arrows on horseback. They developed a rich culture characterized by opulent tombs, fine metalwork, and a brilliant art style.
In the early 7th century BC the Scythians advanced south of the Caspian Sea and invaded the kingdom of Media, but they were expelled in 625 by Cyaxares, king of Media. Shortly after the middle of the 4th century BC the Scythians of southeastern Europe were subdued and largely exterminated by the Sarmatians, who then gave their name to the region. The Scythian tribes in Asia, however, invaded the Parthian Empire, southeast of the Caspian Sea, in the 2nd century BC. About 130 BC they advanced eastward into the kingdom of Bactria, in the region of present-day Afghanistan, and in the 1st century BC they invaded western and northern India, where they remained powerful for five centuries.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
- Scythia: upto Turkestan in the East. Scythian tribes included those upto Turkestan
- therefore, only language, not ethnicity is confirmed: Iranian language(s) are what they spoke
- invaded Iranian (prob. Zoroastrian) kingdom of Parthia as well invading Media which was Iranian going by the king's name
- Invaded India only as late as 1st century bce
Also from same source, entry on Sarmations (who seized Scythian regions E of Carpathian mountains):<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Sarmatians</b>, ancient nomadic and pastoral people, speaking an Indo-Iranian language, who in the 5th century BC, according to accounts by the contemporary Greek historian Herodotus, lived between the Caspian Sea, the Don River, and the Sea of Azov (an area that is now part of Russia). By the 3rd century BC, they had subdued the Scythians of the great plains north of the Black Sea and their territory extended from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and from the Vistula River to the Volga River. They remained dominant in this area until they were overpowered by the Goths from the west in the 3rd century AD and by the Huns from Asia in the 4th century. Among the Sarmatian tribes were the Alans, Roxolani, and Iazyges.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Mark well, according to this article:
- the Sarmatians, who had settled in what is now a land of Slavonic speakers, spoke an Indo-Iranian language. That is either Indian or Iranian (or the unattested Indo-Iranian parent language). <i>Not</i> a European language.
- They were already living in that area in the 5th century bce, when they arrived there is not noted. They were 'overpowered' by the Germanic-speaking Goths and the Huns and were undoubtedly sent packing.
- Alans being a Sarmatian tribe means they also spoke 'Indo-Iranian', not Celtic or any other European language even as per IE family categorisation.