Yaz culture

Yaz culture

Archaeological cultures associated with Indo-Iranian migrations (after EIEC). The Andronovo, BMAC and Yaz cultures have often been associated with Indo-Iranian migrations. The GGC (Swat), Cemetery H, Copper Hoard and PGW cultures are candidates for cultures associated with Indo-Aryan migrations.
Period	Early Iron Age (c. 1500–500 BC or c. 1500–330 BC)
Type site	Yaz-Tappe, Yaz Tepe, or Yaz Depe, near Baýramaly, Turkmenistan

The Yaz culture (named after the type site Yaz-Tappe, Yaz Tepe, or Yaz Depe, near Baýramaly, Turkmenistan^[1]) was an early Iron Age culture of Margiana, Bactria and Sogdia (c. 1500–500 BC,^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]} or c. 1500–330 BC^[9][10]). It emerges at the top of late Bronze Age sites (BMAC), sometimes as mud-brick platforms and sizeable houses associated with irrigation systems. Ceramics were mostly hand-made, but there was increasing use of wheel-thrown ware. There have been found bronze or iron arrowheads, also iron sickles or carpet knives among other artifacts.^[11][12][13]

With the farming citadels and absence of burials it has been regarded as a likely archaeological reflection of early East Iranian culture as described in the Avesta.^[14][15] So far, no burials related to the culture have been found, and this is taken as possible evidence of the Zoroastrian practice of exposure or sky burial.^{[2][16][17][18]}