We don't know exactly when and where Zarathushtra lived. Most historians, however, believe that he lived in ancient Margiana or Bactria in today's Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan around 1800 BC to 1200 BC.

This period is known as the Bronze Age. In this period people learned to mix tin with copper to make bronze, which could be cast in different shapes like this bronze seal from 1600 BC.

In Central Asia, Bronze Age started around 2200 BC and continued until 1200 BC.

In Central Asia, most Bronze Age people were herdsmen. They took their cows, sheep, two-humped camels, and horses from one place to another for grazing. They moved to different places with the help of wheeled carts driven by oxen. These carts were first invented in Central Asia around 3000 BC.

Some of these nomads were fierce warriors. They rode chariots driven by powerful horses and carried weapons like this bronze sword on the left. They attacked farmers destroying their crops and stealing their properties. Zarathushtra in his Divine Songs, the Gathas, condemns the cruelty of these warriors. He asks God for a peaceful productive way of life.

Some people worked as traders. Central Asia was rich in silver, gold and precious stones like carnelian. Traders took these valuable goods to far away places like India, Iran and Mesopotamia.

One important gemstone was lapis lazuli, which came from northern Afghanistan. As early as 2500 BC, traders in Central Asia took lapis to Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Others were skillful artisans. In Margiana and Bactria where Zarathushtra probably lived archeologists have found many beautiful objects like ivory statues, ceramic vessels, bronze pins and weapons. This alabaster head and jewelry on the right, for example, were found in Margiana.

At the time of Zarathushtra some people decided to settle down and farm their fields. These farmers stayed in one place and grew wheat or barley. They knew how to build dams and irrigation canals to bring water to their fields. In his Divine Songs, the Gathas, Zarathushtra praises the peaceful life of these farmers.

Archeologist have recently found a mummy of a Central Asian woman from 2000 BC. The woman was buried with her winnowing tray used to clean wheat of its husks. To winnow, one has to toss wheat into air. The wind will blow the wheat husks and the heavy, edible grain remains.

The winnowing tray had to be very important for the woman to be buried with her. This shows that wheat was an important part of the diet for Bronze Age people in Central Asia. They probably made bread and soup from wheat. Barley was another source of food for them. However, Zarathushtra and his people were not familiar with rice, millet, or potato.

One important food was butter and cheese. Since all Bronze Age people in Europe, Mesopotamia, and Asia Minor knew about cheese, it is possible that Zarathushtra and his people knew about cheese and butter too.

People also ate their cattle. Wooly sheep was first domesticated in the steppes of Central Asia around 3500 BC. Since then, people have been using sheep's meat, milk, and wool. Besides domestic animals, Central Asians could hunt wild animals like hare, onager, or wild boar for food.

Bronze Age people of Central Asia wore beautiful, colorful clothes. These clothes were made of wool, fur, felt, or leather. Wealthy people even wore cashmere wool taken from goats. The Bronze Age people used elaborate bronze garment pins or buttons to hold their clothes. Since they rode horses, they needed warm clothes. They had closely fitted pants and long sleeve shirts.

Archeologists have recently found several mummies who may have belonged to an Iranian tribe. These people lived in the steppes of Central Asia. The clothes of these mummies can help us understand what Zarathushtra and his people wore.

The mummy on the right belongs to a 55-year-old man from 1000 BC. He is known as "Cherchen Man." He wears white deerskin boots, colored woolen pants and woolen shirt.

The mummy on the left belongs to a woman who lived around 1800 BC. She wears a woolen wrap and a felt hood.

Bronze Age people of Central Asia loved to wear plaid woolen clothes like the piece of twill below which is dated around 1200 BC. Plaid woolen twills like this one resemble the same twills worn by early Celts who lived in Europe.

At the time of Zarathushtra, people worshipped different gods and goddesses like Mithra, Anahita, Apam Napat, Varuna and many more. Ancient Iranians called these gods Daevas-the shining ones.

Zarathushtra rejected all the Daevas calling them the "false gods." He also rejected all the priests who were very powerful and influential. These priests used magic, sacrificed animals, and performed many elaborate rituals. They even drank a kind of drink taken from a toxic plant known as Haoma.

Zarathushtra didn't like these priests and the rituals they performed. He called the priests karapans which means "mumbling priests." Zarathushtra invited people to move away from karapans' rituals and worship one God- Ahura Mazda.

Not all Bronze Age people lived in villages. In fact, many lived in large cities. Archeologists have found a large city in ancient Margiana (in today's Gonur Tepe, Turkmenistan) that was built around 2000 BC. Some believe that this city may have existed back in Copper Age around 4500 BC.

The people of this city had a sophisticated civilization. They made beautiful alabaster vessels similar to this Bactrian vase from 1800 BC as well as elaborate pottery. They might even have invented a kind of writing too.

In this city, archeologists have found a strong fort with walls thirty feet high. They also found a peculiar building with a roofless courtyard surrounded by rooms. Scientists found large amount of the toxic plant, Haoma, in these rooms. Haoma played an important role in the religion of Central Asian people before Zarathushtra. That's why archeologists think that this peculiar building had to be built as a kind of temple.