The history and archaeology of the Scythians and other steppe peoples are relatively familiar, but what of their predecessors who colonized and occupied this vast region, from the Carpathians to China, before the Iron Age? The papers in this volume provide an overview and reassessment of our knowledge of the period from Neolithic to Iron Age in an area which covers approximately one-sixth of the earth's land surface. They range broadly from East to West, and address a number of major themes: the development of pastoral economies; the diffusion of ideas, and the movement of peoples. The authors too come from geographically diverse regions, and different traditions and methods of research are outlined and debated; new analytical techniques are highlighted. This volume has arisen from a symposium held at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research (Cambridge, UK) in 2000.