Scythians 1

Archaeology

•  ar·∙chae·∙ol·∙o·∙gy  •  ˌärkēˈäləjē/  •  noun  •  noun:  archaeology;  noun:  archeology  •  the  study  of  human  history  and  prehistory  through  the  excavaAon  of  sites  and  the  analysis  of  arAfacts  and  other  physical  remains.  

What do archaeologists look at in order to learn about a people?

•  ArAfacts  (objects  created  or  used  by  people),  including  their  “garbage”  

•  Features:  buildings,  walls,  pits,  agriculture  •  RelaAonships  and  spaAal  connecAons  among  objects  

•  StraAficaAon  •  Soil  composiAon  •  Plant  elements  (fibers,  seeds,  pollen)  •  Bones    •  Layout    

What can we see in this

object ?

•  Does  it  look  like  anything  we’ve  seen  before?  •   Why  or  why  not?  •   What  do  the  object,  its  material,  techniques  and  imagery  

tell  us?  

Scythia  •  Scythia  was  in  Central  Eurasia,  including  parts  of  Ukraine,  

the  Siberia  steppe,  and  Iran.    •  Scythians  ruled  from  ca.  800  BCE  to  200  BCE  (may  date  to  

2000  BC);  considered  the  first  people  of  Russia.  They  had  no  wri_en  language  but  their  spoken  language  was  related  to  Persian.  

•  Burial  mounds  (kurhans)  are  found  primarily  in  Ukraine  and  the    Altai  Mountains  of  Kazakhstan,  but  are  sca_ered  throughout  the  steppe.  

•  Greek  historian  Herodotus  (ca.  600  BC)  combined  observaAon  and  myth  in  his  wriAngs  on  Scythians.  He  said  they  intermarried  with  the  Amazons  afer  ba_ling  them.  

•  Most  Scythians  were  nomadic  or  semi-­‐nomadic.  

Scythians were the first to master horseback riding and ���warfare���on horseback. ���

They decorated their horses extravagantly

Excellent warriors (including women,

perhaps leading to the legends of the

Amazons).���

Personal ornamentation

Scythian burial

•  Kurhans  (kurgans)  up  to  60  f.  tall  x  300  f.  wide  

Goods found in Scythian tomb

How we know about one Scythian woman  

•  Buried  alone  (not  as  companion  to  a  man)  and  apart  from  family  groups  in  separate  mound  

•  Full  ceremonial  burial  as  for  wealthy  families  •  Extravagant  headdress  •  Larch  tree  coffin  –  usually  reserved  for  kings  •  Modest  jewelry,  mostly  wooden  covered  in  gold  •  Mirror  of  Chinese  origin  in  wood  frame,  in  red  pouch  near  

her  knees:  has  sacred  meaning  as  all  Pazyryk  burials  contain  them.    

•  Coriander  seeds  in  stone  dish  at  foot  of  coffin  (some  sources  say  cannabis  was  found  in  burial  room)  

•  Approximately  25  years  of  age  

Burial goods

•  6  skeletons  of  horses  –  with  preserved  wooden  decoraAons  on  the  harnesses,  some  with  colored  felt  saddles  –  propped  against  wall  of  burial  chamber  

•  Burial  room  of  larch  logs  •  8  foot  long  hollowed  larch  log  coffin,  shut  with  copper  nails  

(coffin)  decorated  with  felt  appliques  of  deer  •  CosmeAcs:  Face  brush  made  of  horse  hair,  “eyeliner  pencil”  

made  of  iron  rings  containing  deep  blue-­‐green  vivianite  •  Clothing  •  Two  small  wooden  tables  –  horsemeat  and  mu_on  on  one  •   yogurt  remains  in  wooden  vessel  with  carved  handle  •  Beverage  remains  in  a  horn  cup  that  had  been  repaired  

“Ukok princess”•  5’  6”  tall,  Embalmed  with  wax,  herbs,  peat,  bark,  wool  and  fur,  shaved  with  wig  

Extraordinary  clothing,  including  a  30”  tall  headdress;  ta_oos  on  shoulder  arm  and  fingers  

Dr. Natalia Polosmak excavating Ukok Princess

What really happened to her?

•  Breast  cancer  for  about  5  years  (stage  4  at  end)  

•  Metastasized  to  her  spine  •  AddiAonal  acute  trauma  –  dislocated  hip  and  shoulder,  skull  fracture  –  from  a  fall,  probably  from  a  horse  in  October.  

•  Migrated,  surely  with  help,  to  winter  camp  

•  Died  Jan  –  March,  buried  in  June  •  In  order  to  warrant  such  concern,  must  have  been  a  criAcal  member  of  community  –  a  shaman?  

Al-AlakhaWarrior grave

•  Male:  45  –  50  years  old  •  Female:  16  years  old  •  Both  dressed  nearly  idenAcally,  in  warrior  garb  

helmet  

Belt  fragments:  top  row,  male’s  belt  Bo_om  row,  female’s  belt  

•  Her  horses  (with  decoraAons)  and  weapons.  

Evidence for Woman Warrior•  She  wore  male  clothing,  including  helmet  and  trousers  of  coarse  red  fabric  

•  Buried  with  horses  bridled          and  saddled  •  Remains  of  a  quiver,    •  7  arrowheads  and  an  iron          dagger  found  on  her  body.  •  Ba_le  axes,  bow  and          arrows  were  also  found          in  the  burial  chamber.  

ReconstrucAon  from  skull  of  young  warrior  

Scythian archers and quiver

Scythian Descendants?

SOME  of  the  groups  claiming  descent:    •  Russians,  Ukrainians,  Hungarians,  Albanians,  Mongols,  Sikh  Indians  from  Punjab  region,  Gupta  Indians,  Irish,  Pashtun  tribe    (Pakistan),  CroaAa,  Poland,  Scotland,  Germanic  peoples,  Anglo-­‐Saxons,  Vikings  and  various  Slavic  peoples.