Uzbekistan located in the basin of the Zerafshan and Kashkadarya

Sogdiana practiced Zoroastrianism and in cultural layer of the town there were found small statues of Goddess of fertility Anahita, various ossuaries, containers for storage of bones of fire worshippers. Pictures of chariot on mural paintings and on golden statuettes from the well-known Amu Darya treasure, which is kept in British Museum in London, remind the words of Zoroastrian hymn from Avesta that glorifies the Sun-God: "We worship Mitra, who steers his heavenly chariot on high wheels. Four white immortal stallions lead that chariot; their front hoofs are forged with gold, while rear hoofs are forged with silver."
Already in Hellenic period through Sogdian towns and cities there run the Great Silk Road, and Marakanda (Samarkand) was located on the main crossroad of the most important caravan routes. Brisk trade relations had a considerable impact on the culture of the neighboring countries. From China the Sogdians adopted silkworm breeding, paper making and gun making technologies, whereas the Chinese imported from Central Asia seeds and young plants of grape, seedlings of cotton plant and alfalfa. From Ferghana Valley the Chinese merchants brought home the famous untiring racers.
The life of Sogdian people was an almost endless series of battles with foreign invaders. Ancient Roman historian Cuintus Curcius Ruphus wrote, "…There are many densely populated villages in Sogdiana; these fertile lands attract not only the natives, but aliens as well". And ancient Greek historian Flavius Arrian specified who these 'aliens' could be. Thus he mentioned Scythians in particular, "These Scythians lived in extreme poverty; they had neither towns, nor permanent dwellings; they had no reason to fear for their material comforts, that is why they could be easily talked into any war".

At the break of the new era many kingdoms appeared and broke up on the territory of Central Asia. Sogdiana was the member of a political confederation, which comprised about twenty different princedoms and independent towns. In the 1st century A.D.