Scythians - A Mysterious History
Through kurgan burial mounds, chronicles of Herodotus, and peoples like the Ossatians, evidence of the Scythians remain of interest to scholars and archaeologists.
Much remains unknown about the Scythians, a race of Indo-European people who probably spoke in an Iranian language. They were nomadic, yet organized, and archaeologists are still looking for the capital of the Scythian nation buried underneath centuries of soil – which may or may not have existed. The height of the Scythian migration from Central Asia happened before or around 700 BCE; during this migration, the Scythians plundered cities and were much feared by the peoples with whom they came in contact.
Scythian Kurgans
Kurgans are Scythian burial mounds. These mounds, scattered across the steppes and across the Crimea, hold clues to the answers archaeologists and scholars have been searching for in regards to their questions about the Scythians. Unfortunately, many of these kurgans have been plundered by thieves, who have sought the gold and other treasures buried with the most important Scythians – kings, chiefs, and their wives.
The kurgans hold other evidence about the Scythians’ way of life. Blackened earth is telling about fire rituals. Horse skeletons speak of sacrifice and the importance of horses to the Scythian lifestyle. Greek pottery, Middle Eastern stones, worked gold, and amphorae are indicative of the trade the Scythians were masters of. Presumably, it was wheat for which they traded other nations for goods.
Ancient Texts and the Scythians
Herodotus, most famously, recorded tales about the Scythians. While all details may not be specifically correct, Herodotus’s chronicles give a basis for archaeologists and historians studying the Scythian legacy. Hippocrates and Homer also displayed a passing interest in the Scythian people. In addition, some scholars believe that the Scythians, though not identified by their modern name, were mentioned in the Bible. Because the Scythians left no written accounts of their existence, it’s only possible to corroborate the texts with the physical evidence found in the kurgans.
Scythian Demise
The height of the Scythian empire, most scholars agree, was at the 4th century, BCE. However, during the 3rd century BCE, fewer traces of these nomadic people were left. No one knows exactly what happened to them, but there is some evidence to support that they were defeated eventually by the Greeks – the Scythians had begun to raid and pillage Greek villages, though the reason behind this is still unknown.
Scythian Legacy
The Scythians have greatly influenced legend and even feelings of nationalism. For example, in Ukraine, the feelings of being inheritors of Scythian lands is still a point of importance. In fact, the horse-riding Cossacks claimed Scythian descent. The Scythian language may live on in a developed form in the Ossetian language, which the Ossetian people of the Caucasus Mountains speak. They also have fire rituals and revere horses in a similar manner to the ancient Scythians.
Archaeologists are in a rush to collect the physical evidence left by the Scythians. Their burial mounds are still looted by farmers or treasure-seekers who want to sell pieces of Greek pottery on the black market. Also, current expeditions are sorely underfunded, so gathering Scythian artifacts and recording the finds remains a labor of love by those who still explore the steppes looking for evidence of early Eastern European inhabitants.
Selected References
Edwards, Mike, “Searching for the Scythians.” National Geographic, Vol. 190, No. 3, 1996, pp 54-79.
Johnson, James William, “The Scythian: His Rise and Fall.”Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 20, No. 2. (Apr., 1959), pp. 250-257.
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