The Scythians inhabited the Eurasian steppe from 900 BC to around 200 BC. With no Scythian writing surviving, much what is known about these people come from ancient Assyrian and Graeco-Roman literary sources and from archaeological evidence. From these sources, it is clear that the Scythians were formidable warriors and accomplished riders, roaming the Eurasian steppes and controlling the regional trade. The Greeks first encountered the Scythians in the 7th century BCE, and with the establishment of many Greek cities in the region, the Greek and Scythian cultures would greatly influence the other’s culture and art for centuries.
Scythian art was highly decorative, often looking to nature for inspiration, with the motifs of birds, felines, and stags featuring throughout. The stag may have been linked to an ancient mother goddess and the reindeer which the ancestors of the Scythians hunted. The Scythians were famed for their rich metal working culture, producing ornate jewellery and appliqués. The latter was sewn onto headdresses, shoes, as well as the necklines and sleeves of Scythian garments. Gold pieces have been found not only in the opulent tombs of men and women, but also in the tombs of their horses, emphasising the integral role this precious metal and these beloved animals had in Scythian culture.
To discover more about Scythian culture and decorative techniques for metalworks, please visit our relevant blog posts: Scythian Gold and Decorative Metalwork Techniques.
