Overview
R1a-Z94 is the dominant downstream branch of R1a-Z93 and represents the central paternal lineage of early Indo-Iranian populations. Forming in the early Bronze Age within the steppe cultures of the southern Urals and western Kazakhstan, Z94 is heavily represented among populations associated with Sintashta and Andronovo. These groups played a pivotal role in the development of chariot technology, warfare strategies and long-distance mobility that reshaped Eurasian cultural landscapes. Z94 lineages expanded with Indo-Iranian speaking groups across the steppe, into the Central Asian oases and southward toward the regions that would later become Iran, Afghanistan and northern South Asia. During the Iron Age, Z94 became a core paternal lineage among Scythians, Saka, Sarmatians and other Iranian-speaking nomadic confederations. Its presence in elite warrior burials across the steppe demonstrates its importance in steppe aristocratic lineages. In South Asia, Z94 forms the ancestral base for several major branches including L657 and M780. These lineages expanded with early Indo-Aryan migrations and later became integrated into numerous linguistic, social and cultural strata across India and Pakistan. Today, Z94 forms the backbone of Indo-Iranian male ancestry and is widely distributed across Eurasia.