Overview
R1a-Y3 is one of the earliest and most phylogenetically significant branches of the R1a-Z94 cluster. It emerged in the Late Bronze Age among populations living across the Steppe-Ural region, where early Indo-Iranian societies were forming. Archaeological connections link Y3 ancestors to communities involved in the development of chariot warfare, advanced bronze metallurgy and long-distance pastoral mobility. These groups interacted extensively with Andronovo, Sintashta and BMAC-related populations across Central Asia. During the Iron Age, Y3 became prominent among Iranian-speaking nomadic groups such as the Saka and Sarmatians. The lineage spread across regions that now comprise Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and parts of Iran. Y3 lineages have been found in kurgan burials associated with warrior elites, highlighting their social importance. Y3 also contributed to population movements into the Iranian plateau and northern South Asia, forming part of the early Indo-Aryan and early Iranian gene pool. Modern distributions reflect these historical processes and the complex demographic landscape of Central Asia over the past four millennia.