#scythian history

[blueiscoool]

Ancient Scythian Gold Jewelry Stolen From Ukraine Recovered in Spain

An Orthodox Church priest is among the five people accused of trying to sell the pieces, taken after being put on display at a Kyiv museum between 2009 and 2013.

The Spanish authorities have seized Scythian jewelry worth €60m (£52m) they say was stolen from Ukraine.

Police said the 11 ancient gold pieces were smuggled out of Ukraine in 2016 to be resold in Spain.

The bracelets, necklaces and earrings, from the 8th to 4th Centuries BC, had forged documents saying they belonged to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Five arrests were made previously as part of an investigation into the 2021 sale of a gold belt with rams' heads.

The Scythians were a nomadic people who dominated parts of eastern Europe and Asia, including what is now southern Ukraine, from around 800 BC until 400 AD. They were known for their rich cultural heritage and metalworking skills, particularly in the manufacture of elaborate gold jewelry.

Separately, the Ukrainian authorities said last week that they had recovered 14 archaeological items allegedly stolen from areas occupied by Russia. A Russian man was arrested after attempting to smuggle them into the US.

The items include a Neolithic axe dating from approximately 5,000-3,000 BC.

"It's safe to say that Ukraine has received a new shipment of weaponry. The only catch is that this weaponry is incredibly ancient," Ukraine's acting Minister of Culture Rostyslav Karandieiev wryly noted at a news conference.

Artifacts created by the Scythian civilisation are among Ukraine's best-known historical heritage.

Ukrainian archaeologists say Scythian gold held in Ukrainian museums in areas under Russian occupation has been looted since the full-scale invasion last year.

Losses from alleged Russian plundering of Ukraine's historical and artistic heritage are estimated to run into the hundreds of millions of euros.

[heroineimages]

I really need to study the Scythians more.

Gold comb with battle scene, uncovered from a tomb (Solokha Kurgan) in eastern Ukraine, Scythian, 4th century BC

[now-for-wrath-now-for-ruin]

King Théoden

[estera-shirin]

Pendant—Eurasian Steppe, 4th to 3rd century BCE

This pendant is Scytho-Sarmatian and appears to depict a horse.

[vintage-ukraine]

Ukrainian archeologist Dmytro Yavornitskyi posing in front of Kumani or possibly Scythian kurgan stelae, early XXth century

[coochiequeens]

Women’s history just became even richer

By Marco Margaritoff | Edited By John Kuroski

Published March 14, 2025

Items found with the skeletons — including iron arrowheads, horse harnesses, and a broken vase — helped researchers trace back the burial to the 4th century B.C.

Institute of Archaeology RASThe oldest woman found in the grave wore a calathos, which is a ceremonial headdress.

Archaeologists in Russia have uncovered the remains of four Amazon women of different ages buried in the same tomb. According to CNN, this is the first time in history that such a discovery has been made.

Published by the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a new study estimates one girl to have been between 12 and 13 years old when she died. The second was aged 20 to 29, the third was 25 to 35, and the fourth was 45 to 50.

The tomb itself was built from clay and oak blocks.

Items discovered at the burial site — iron arrowheads, a bird-shaped hook made of iron, horse harnesses, harness hooks, iron knives, animal bones, various vessels, and a broken, black vase — all helped researchers estimate the burial to have taken place during the 4th century B.C.

This suggests the warrior women were Scythians, who were ancient warriors living throughout Siberia between 200 and 900 B.C. Female Scythians, in turn, were Amazons — and the inspiration behind Wonder Woman.

The more magical elements, of course, have yet to be discovered.

Institute of Archaeology RASThe excavation took place at a cemetery called Devitsa V, which contains 19 burial mounds.

This remarkable find took place at a cemetery in the Voronezh region of Russia called Devitsa V. The site is comprised of 19 burial mounds, and has been studied since 2010. It took an entire decade, however, for the Don Archaeological Society of the RAS to excavate these specific remains.

“The Amazons are common Scythian phenomenon and during the last decade our expedition has discovered approximately 11 burials of young armed women,” said Valerii Guliaev, head of the expedition.

“Separate barrows were filled for them and all burial rites which were usually made for men were done for them.”

The ancient personal items of this stunning discovery carry with them priceless ancient information that clarifies just how these people lived, millennia ago. While the girl and one of the young woman’s graves were ravaged by robbers in ancient times, the other graves were left undisturbed.

One young woman was buried as a “horseman,” which meant her body underwent a rather macabre tradition that includes cutting the tendons in the legs. Underneath her left shoulder was a bronze mirror, two spears, and a glass bead bracelet along her left side and hand.

At her legs laid a one-armed drinking cup and a dish adorned with a black lacquer design.

In addition to the headdress, many other priceless artifacts were also found.

The average life expectancy for a Scythian woman was between 30 and 35, making the oldest woman’s age at the time of death impressive enough. The calathos, or ceremonial headdress adorned with floral ornamented plates and pendants, however, was just as surprising.

The jewelry she was buried with was 65 to 70 percent gold, with copper, silver, and iron comprising the rest. Scythian jewelry has previously been found to contain far less gold. She was also buried with an iron knife that was wrapped in fabric, and an iron arrowhead with a forked end.

The researchers explained that the headdress was shocking to find, as so few of them even survived the burial itself, not to mention the years before people dug them up. Archaeologists typically find mere fragments of these calathos, rather than entirely preserved ones.

Besides the intriguing, ancient objects found in the middle of Siberia, the fact that no one has ever found for Amazons buried in the same grave before makes this rather exciting. There’s no telling what researchers will find in the remaining mounds at Devitsa V.

After learning about the ancient Scythian Amazon warrior women being uncovered in Russia, read about the Slavic warrior woman buried with weaponry in a Danish Viking cemetery. Then, learn about the ancient warrior woman unearthed in Armenia who may have been an Amazon.

[worldhistoryfacts]

The first society to ride horses into battle may have been the Scythians, a nomadic people who dominated the areas east and north of the Black Sea between 800 and 200 BCE. We can get a sense of how Scythians might have outfitted their horses from this display, showing ceremonial decorations placed on a horse (the decorations date to the third century):

The most famous representation of Scythian horsemanship is a gold comb in the Hermitage. It economically represents the chaos of battle, with the horse at the center — wide-eyed, with danger underfoot and on both sides.

{Buy me a coffee} {WHF} {Medium} {Looking Through the Past}

Much more on the history of horses at war:

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Life-Sized Mortuary Doll from Siberia, c.250 CE: a small pouch filled with cremated human remains was tucked into the body of this mannequin, which was then stuffed with grass, dressed in furs, and buried

The mannequin measures about 1.5 meters (nearly 5 feet) tall, and it was crafted out of leather, fur, woollen fabric, tendon thread, silk, and grass. This is one of several mortuary dolls that have been found at the burial complex known as Oglakhty cemetery, which is located in the Oglakhty mountains of southern Siberia.

The mannequin's face was created from a patch of red woollen fabric; a rolled-up piece of leather was tucked beneath that patch in order to create the shape of the nose, while leather flaps were used to form the ears. Several black lines were also drawn across the face using charcoal.

The mannequin was positioned with its head resting atop a leather cushion filled with grass and reindeer fur.

Oglakhty cemetery is associated with the Tashtyk culture of southern Siberia. This article describes their unique burial practices, which often included a mix of mummification and cremation rituals:

The communities belonging to this group left numerous burial sites with an expressive funeral rite famous for its tradition of funeral masks and ‘dummies’: leather-made models of human bodies up to 1.5m in length, stuffed with grass, and  containing charred human bones.

Of special interest is the fact that different rites were used to bury individuals in the same grave: the mummies and dummies both contained human bones. Remains of the mummies, i.e. dry bodies with trepanned skulls and faces covered with gypsum masks were lying side by side with the dummies.

And as this article notes:

These mannequins or so-called ‘dolls’ are the only surviving examples of burials of this type.

It's believed that the mannequins are dressed in clothing that was originally worn by the dead people they represent. Some of the mannequins also have plaits of human hair that were likely taken from the dead just prior to cremation; the hair was then used to form neatly-braided hairpieces that were typically placed upon the mannequins' heads.

Many of the graves at Oglakhty cemetery exhibit a peculiar mix of both inhumation and cremation. That blend of rituals is often attributed to the arrival of peoples/traditions from other regions, and the cultural diffusion that gradually occurred as a result:

Different ways of burying people in the same graves in the early Tashtyk cemeteries may reflect their different origins: descendants of local population and immigrants living and buried alongside each other.

Sources & More Info:

Antiquity: Pastoralists and Mobility in the Oglakhty Cemetery of Southern Siberia

Masters of the Steppe: Mummies and Mannequins from the Oglakhty Cemetery in Southern Siberia

Quarternary International: New Results of Radiocarbon Dating from the Oglakhty Cemetery

Research Square: First Ancient DNA Analysis of Mummies from the Post-Scythian Oglakhty Cemetery

Archeotravelers: The Face Hidden Behind the Mask

Great Sites of the Ancient World: Siberia's Oglakhty Mountains

[restless-historian]

Bronze top in a shape it tree of life with tha figure of god Papai, Scythian, 4th cent. BCE, Nikopol, Dnipro region, Ukraine

[sheafrotherdon]

The Parthenon at sunrise is something quite different from the Parthenon in the heat of the day. The long lines of the pillars linger in shadow, as if anticipating their gilding but while as yet still  hidden from light. Technically, Joe thinks, he can’t blame the tourists who aren’t here yet for missing this beauty.  Technically, the Parthenon isn’t open. Technically he shouldn’t be standing, hip-to-hip with Nicky, head tilted back to take in the familiar height of the temple, a cooling travel mug of coffee in his hand.

Technically, he thinks, it’s not that hard to evade notice when you’ve been doing it for close to a thousand years.

“It is amazing, no?” asks Nicky, “to imagine the goddess that they memorialized this way is still among us.”

Joe snorts softly. “I’ll pay you all my pocket change to say that to Andy’s face.”

Nicky hums, amused. “I prefer not to die at the end of her knife.  Again.”

The history books are clear that this is a temple to Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, but Joe has long known that history books are approximations of knowledge, best guesses stitched together from fragments of evidence. Joe has heard, first-hand, exactly how embarrassed Andy was to return from war and find them building the place.

“Hey,” he says, turning his head toward Nicky and bumping their hands together.  “Wanna climb it?”

“Not today,” says Nicky and sips from his own mug.

“I suppose it is only a few months since we did it last.”

“Si. But we could sit on a plinth and watch the sun.”

They scramble up to the base of a pillar and settle themselves. Technically, Joe thinks, there are rules about this, about stepping on history and threatening ruin, but technically, he’s light-footed when he wants to be, and they know the quasi-owner.  The sun is a thin line of orange against the horizon, the sky still more dark than light.

“You are not a god,” Nicky says as if carrying on a conversation they had let lapse.

Joe is used to this. “No.”

“But you are the talisman of wisdom I hold closest to my heart,” Nicky says, picking up Joe’s hand and threading their fingers together.

“Not the talisman of war, I hope,” Joe says with a pleased smile.

“No.  War I can handle myself.”

Joe nods once, decisively, and pulls Nicky’s hand to his lips to kiss his knuckles. “Shall we tell her?”

“That we were here?”

“Hmm.”

“She will hate what they have done with the place.”

Joe laughs. “Perhaps if she revealed the confusion about her identity, put them to rights about who exactly inspired this . . . “

Nicky joins in his laughter. “Yes.  Exactly Andromache’s style.”

Joe sips his coffee. “I miss her.”

Nicky nods. “We will see her soon.”

They relax into comfortable silence together, and technically, Joe thinks, he is perhaps the luckiest man in the world for having been loved longer and with greater dedication than any other man alive.

“Technically,” he says to Nicky. “you’re the best.”

Nicky looks over, quirking an eyebrow. “Best?”

Joe shrugs happily.

Nicky leans over and kisses him, and Joe smiles into the kiss.

[baebeylik]

Campanian/Etruscan small bronze statue depicting a Scythian archer and his horse. The archer is removable. The horse is a piece meant to be placed atop an urn.

5th Century BCE. Currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[blueiscoool]

Disputed Ukrainian Treasures Returned to Kyiv After Dutch Court Ruling

A haul of Ukrainian treasures sent to Europe for an exhibition nearly 10 years ago have been returned to Kyiv from the Netherlands after a lengthy legal battle.

The collection of ancient artifacts was dispatched to the Netherlands from four museums in Crimea before Russia’s annexation of the region in 2014. But the annexation meant their return has not been straightforward.

“After almost 10 years of litigation, artifacts from four Crimean museums that were presented at the exhibition ‘Crimea: Gold and Secrets of the Black Sea’ in Amsterdam have returned to Ukraine,” the National Museum of History of Ukraine said in a statement.

The collection comprised 565 items, including antique sculptures, Scythian and Sarmatian jewelry, and Chinese lacquer boxes that are 2,000 years old, the museum said.

Rostyslav Karandieiev, Ukraine’s acting minister of culture and information policy, described the treasures’ homecoming as “our great historical victory.”

“It is very important for us to save and protect our history, traditions, and heritage. This is what we are fighting for at the battlefield. We are fighting for our identity and freedom,” he said.

“The exhibition in the Netherlands was showing the history of Ukrainian Crimea, therefore it is exclusively the people of Ukraine who should possess these treasures,” he added.

In a statement published on its website, the Allard Pierson museum in Amsterdam confirmed that the collection had been kept in storage while the legal dispute raged on over whether items should be returned to Ukraine or the four museums in Russian-controlled Crimea, with both sides claiming ownership rights over the historic pieces.

Ultimately, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands ruled on June 9 of this year that the collection should be returned to Kyiv.

In its statement, the Allard Pierson museum went on to say that the items were “independently checked and carefully packed in accordance with museum rules” last month and arrived back in Kyiv on Sunday.

Els van der Plas, director of the museum, said in the statement: “This was a special case, in which cultural heritage became a victim of geopolitical developments. After it became clear in 2014 that the judge would consider the case, we focused on safely storing the artefacts until the time came to return them to their rightful owner. We are pleased that clarity has emerged and that they have now been returned.”

Welcoming the development, Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture and Information Policy said in a statement: “Until the de-occupation of Crimea, the ‘Scythian Gold’ will be temporarily stored on the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.”

By Maria Kostenko, Victoria Butenko and Lianne Kolirin.

[memories-of-ancients]

Gold hilt and iron sword fragment, Scythian, 5th-4th century BC

from The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

[crossdreamers]

The Scythian Transgender Priestesses

The YouTube video titled "Exploring the remains of an ancient trans priestess" delves into the archaeological discovery of a burial site believed to belong to a Scythian transgender priestess from approximately 2,000 years ago.

The video examines the grave goods found at the site, providing insights into the individual's societal role and the cultural context of gender diversity in ancient times.

Sophie, who has made many videos on the the history of transgender lives and culture, offers a well-researched narrative, shedding light on historical instances of transgender identities and their recognition in past societies.

Sophie has actually made several videos on Scythian enarei (also referred to as enaree or anaray) priestesses.

Here is a general overview:

The Scythians were a group of ancient nomadic peoples who inhabited the steppes of Eurasia, particularly the region stretching from modern-day Ukraine and southern Russia to parts of Central Asia, from around the 9th century BCE to the 4th century CE.

Known for their exceptional skills in horseback riding, archery, and warfare, the Scythians played a significant role in the history and cultural exchanges of the ancient world.

Scythian tiara depicting the goddess Artimpasa surrounded by priestesses, including an enarei on the right.

The enarei were associated with an orgiastic cult dedicated to the goddess Artimpasa and the Scythians' ancestral Snake-Legged Goddess.

These deities were heavily influenced by Near Eastern fertility goddesses. The enarei's rituals combined indigenous Scythian shamanistic practices, which were similar to those of Siberian peoples, with elements imported from Levantine religions.

[paganimagevault]

Dian Kingdom 8th-1st C. BCE. Meant to post this one a long time ago but it took me forever to put together. I'm just going to post 30 images here, I got about 100 total on my blog. Link at bottom.

The Dian Kingdom was an advanced civilization in what is modern-day southwest China. It was occupied by the Han Dynasty and incorporated into China after that. From what I've gathered, the people of the Dian Kingdom were probably closely related to the Baiyue people from southern China and northern Vietnam. Wikipedia says they may have spoke a Tibeto-Burman language. I found it interesting that some of these people look Caucasoid though and were wearing clothing similar to Scythians. The image I compared of the Dian man to the Indo-Scythian has a similar facial structure, hat, and even the same type of pants (sorry, I don't have time to tidy up the comparison photos more).

The Dian art theme of the four tigers attacking an ox is found in the same pre-Han period among the Xiongnu at Aluchaideng, and a similar motif appears at Tillya Tepe a couple centuries later. The theme is the same but the style is very different, still it indicates a connection to these places of the world through trade and exposure.

Some of the scenes with soldiers show a variety of different equipment styles and certain subjects have distinct fashion styles (like the people wearing the items that make their ears look huge). I watched a couple documentaries on genetics of the Dian and they were only able to find genetic info for one person, who was identified as similar to the Baiyue people. I'll link those youtube videos in sources below. I assume these people were primarily related to modern day Vietnamese and southern Chinese (or other people nearby) but may have had close interactions with (and even immigrants from) Scythian cultures despite their distance from them, which is interesting.

From the videos: "According to the final count, the amount of bronze ware excavated from Lijia Mountain is almost half the amount of the Shang Dynasty bronze ware excavated in Yinxu, Henan."

[vintage-ukraine]

Locals from the nearby town of Pokrov spectating the archeological dig of the Tovsta Mohyla Kurgan, 1971

Soon, the archeologists would discover a burial of two high-ranking Scythian nobles - a man and a woman from the IVth BC - complete with buried servants, horses, and treasure.

The most famous find from Tovsta Mohyla (Fat Grave in Ukrainian) is the Golden Pectoral.