thracians - Origins
The prehistoric origins of the Thracians remain obscure, in absence of written historical records. Evidence of Proto-Thracians in the prehistoric period depends on remains of material culture. It is generally proposed that a Proto-Thracian people developed from a mixture of indigenous peoples and Indo-Europeans from the time of Proto-Indo-European expansion in the Early Bronze Age. Hoddinott (1981) .
Modern historiography linguistically classifies Thracians as an Indo-European people of the Eastern (satem) subgroup, which links them to Iranians, Slavs and Balts. Similarities with the ancient Iranian peoples (Scythians, Cimmerians, Sarmatians) are further confirmed by historical and archaeological evidence of early Thracian material culture, way of life, crafts, works of art and burial practices. Analysis of Thracian remains confirms high concentrations of melanin in upper derma. Most of them were probably a Mediterranean looking people with a dark complexion and dark eyes.http://www.digsys.bg/bulgaria/maps/thracian2.jpg
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Bulgarian scholars (Alexander Fol, Ivan Marazov, Elka Penkova) have theorised that Thracians were part of a wider "Thraco-Pelasgian" group of peoples, due to the observed parallels between the Thracian culture and the ancient Minoan, Mycenaean and Phrygian cultures.
First historical record about the Thracians is found in the Iliad, where they appear as allies of the Trojans, hailing from Thrace.