The book, based on an analysis of the religious texts of the Rig Veda, Atharva Veda, Shatapatha Brahmana of the Indo-Aryans and the Avesta of the Iranians, as well as linguistic data, provides a reconstruction of the ancient culture of the Indo-Iranians. Its comparison with specific archaeological cultures of the Old World of the 2nd millennium BC. e. allows us to consider the Eurasian steppe, primarily Andronovo, tribes settling from the Urals to Southern Siberia as the most likely ancestors of the Indo-Iranians who migrated through Central Asia to Iran and Hindustan. CONTENTS: INTRODUCTION 5 Sources of research 11 History of the study of monuments of the Andronovo cultural community 13 Classification of monuments and identification of the Andronovo cultural community 34 CHAPTER I .METHODICAL ASPECTS OF ETHNOCULTURAL RECONSTRUCTIONS 52CHAPTER II.MATERIAL CULTURE OF INDO-IRANIAN TRIBES OF THE ANDRONOVO COMMUNITY 67Settlements and dwellings 67Pottery 106Mining, metallurgy and metalworking 137Making of clothing. Suit 156Transport 163Household 195CHAPTER III. ETHNOGENESIS OF INDO-IRANIANS AND ETHNIC ATTRIBUTION OF THE ANDRONOV CULTURAL COMMUNITY Ethnic attribution of the Andronovo cultural community using a retrospective method 216 Ethnogenesis of the Indo-Iranians in the light of material culture data 217 Ethnic history of the Asian steppes in the 2nd millennium BC 223 Contacts of the Indo-Iranians with the nose speakers of other languages 248Art and mythology 254CONCLUSION 264