scythians 1
TRANSCRIPT
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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.
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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
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What can we see in this
object ?
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• Does it look like anything we’ve seen before? • Why or why not? • What do the object, its material, techniques and imagery
tell us?
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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.
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Scythians were the first to master horseback riding and ���warfare���on horseback. ���
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They decorated their horses extravagantly
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Excellent warriors (including women,
perhaps leading to the legends of the
Amazons).���
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Personal ornamentation
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Scythian burial
• Kurhans (kurgans) up to 60 f. tall x 300 f. wide
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Goods found in Scythian tomb
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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
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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
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“Ukok princess”• 5’ 6” tall, Embalmed with wax, herbs, peat, bark, wool and fur, shaved with wig
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Extraordinary clothing, including a 30” tall headdress; ta_oos on shoulder arm and fingers
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Dr. Natalia Polosmak excavating Ukok Princess
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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?
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Al-AlakhaWarrior grave
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• 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
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• Her horses (with decoraAons) and weapons.
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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
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Scythian archers and quiver
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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.