Much of the Steppe in the Paleolithic era will have been glacial or tundra. As the Pleistocene (Ice Age) ended and the world warmed, this would become a large expanse of land which would have been suitable for animals to graze and migrate around. It may have formed a pathway east for some, a way east north of the Himalayas.

Once the glaciers melted during the new geological Holocene, The Steppe will have become more suitable for life, most likely cultivating a nomadic culture as the grasslands would be suitable to migrating animals such as horses and reindeer, to be followed by Humans moving eastwards.

Ancient Steppe.

Mediaeval Steppe.

Modern Steppe.