Who are the Scythians? Where they lived? Scythian culture. Scythians: photo, description. The Scythians and Sarmatians

"Scythian world" was formed in the 1st millennium AD. It originated in the steppes of Eurasia. This is a cultural-historical and economic community, which has become one of the most outstanding phenomena of the ancient world.

Who are the Scythians?

The word "Scythians" is of ancient Greek origin. It is customary to use it to refer to all North Iranian nomads. About who the Scythians are, you can speak in a narrow and broad sense of the word. In the narrow this is only called the inhabitants of the plains of the Black Sea and the North Caucasus, separating them from closely related tribes - Asian Sakas, dachas, Issedons and Massagets, European Cimmerians and Sarmatian-Sarmatians. A complete list of all Scythian tribes known to the authors of antiquity consists of several dozen names. We will not enumerate all these peoples. By the way, some researchers believe that the Scythians and Slavs have common roots. However, this opinion is not proved, therefore it can not be considered reliable.

Let's talk about where the Scythians lived. They occupied a vast territory from Altai to the Danube. Scythian tribes eventually annexed the local population. Each of them has its own peculiarities of spiritual and material culture. However, all parts of the great Scythian world united the commonality of origin and language, customs and economic activities. It is interesting that the Persians considered all these tribes to be one people. The Scythians have a common Persian name - "saki". It is used in the narrow sense to refer to tribes inhabiting Central Asia. Unfortunately, we can judge only on the basis of indirect sources about what the Scythians were. Of course, there are no photos of them. Moreover, there is not much historical information about them.

Appearance of Scythians

The image on the vase found in the Kul-Oba mound gave researchers the first real idea of how the Scythians lived, how they dressed, what their weapons and appearance were. These tribes wore long hair, a mustache and a beard. They dressed in linen or leather clothes: long trousers-trousers and a caftan with a belt. On their feet, they had leather boots intercepted by thongs on their ankles. The head of the Scythians was covered with felt felt caps. As for weapons, they had a bow and arrows, a short sword, a quadrangular shield and spears.

In addition, images of these tribes are found on other objects found in Kul-Ob. For example, two Scythians are represented on a gold plaque, which they drink from the riton. It is a ceremony of twinning, known to us from the testimony of ancient authors.

Iron Age and Scythian Culture

The formation of Scythian culture took place in the era of the spread of iron. The weapons and tools of this metal came to replace the bronze ones. After the method of making steel was discovered, the Iron Age finally won. Tools made of steel, made a real revolution in military affairs, craft and agriculture.

The Scythians, the territory of distribution and the influence of which were impressive, lived in the early Iron Age. These tribes owned the advanced technologies that were used at that time. They could extract iron from the ore, then turn it into steel. The Scythians used different methods of welding, carburizing, hardening, forging. It was through these tribes that the peoples of northern Eurasia became acquainted with iron. Skills of metallurgy, they borrowed from Scythian artisans.

Iron in the Nartovsky legends has a magical power. Kurdalagon is a heavenly blacksmith who patronizes heroes and heroes. The ideal of a man and a warrior is embodied by Nart Batraz. He is born of iron, and then passes through the hardening of a heavenly blacksmith. Narts, defeating the enemy and capturing their cities, never touch the quarters of blacksmiths. So the Ossetian epic of antiquity in the form of artistic images transmits an atmosphere typical for the early Iron Age.

Why did the nomads appear?

In the vast expanses, from the North Black Sea coast located in the west to Mongolia and Altai located in the east, more than 3 thousand years ago a very original variety of nomadic economy began to take shape. It covered a significant part of Central Asia and Southern Siberia. This type of farming has replaced a settled cattle-farming life. A number of reasons have caused such important changes. Among them - climate change, which dried up the steppe. In addition, the tribes have mastered riding a horse. The composition of the herds has changed. Now horses and sheep began to predominate in them, which could get their own forage in winter.

The era of the early nomads, as it is called, coincided with an important landmark of history, when mankind has made a great historical step - iron has become the main material used to make both tools and weapons.

Life of the Nomans

The rational and ascetic life of the Nomans was based on harsh laws that required the tribes to possess horse riding and excellent military skills. It was necessary to be ready at any time to protect their property or seize someone else's. The main measure of welfare for the nomans was cattle. The ancestors of the Scythians received from him all the essentials: shelter, clothing and food.

Virtually all nomans of the Eurasian steppes (with the exception of the eastern outskirts), according to many researchers, were Iranian-speaking in the early period of their development. For more than a millennium the domination of the Iranian-speaking nomads in the steppe continued: from the 8th to the 7th century. BC. E. For the first centuries AD. E. The Scythian era was the heyday of these Iranian tribes.

Sources for judging Scythian tribes

At present, only the political history of many of them, as well as their relatives (Tokhars, Massagets, Dai, Saks, Issedons, Sauromats, etc.) is only fragmentary. Ancient authors describe mainly the actions of major leaders and military campaigns of the Scythians. Other features of these tribes do not interest them. About who the Scythians are, Herodotus wrote. Only this author, whom Cicero called the "father of history," can find quite a detailed description of the traditions, religion and life of these tribes. For a long time, there was very little information about the culture of the Northern Iranian nomads. Only from the second half of the 19th century, after the excavation of the mounds belonging to the Scythians (in the North Caucasus and Ukraine), and the analysis of Siberian finds, a whole scientific discipline, called scythology, developed. Its founders are large Russian archeologists and scientists: VV Grigoriev, IE Zabelin, BN Grakov, MI Rostovtsev. Thanks to their research, we received new information about who such Scythians are.

Evidence of a genetic community

Despite the fact that the differences in the culture of the Scythian tribes were quite large, the scientists singled out 3 elements that speak of their genetic community. The first of them is a horse decoration. The second element of the triad is certain types of weapons used by these tribes (akinaki daggers and small bows). The third is that in the art of all these nomads the animal style of the Scythians prevailed.

Sarmatians (sarmovaty), devastated Scythia

These peoples in the 3rd century AD. E. Displaces the next wave of nomads. The new tribes devastated a substantial part of Scythia. They destroyed the vanquished, and most of the country was turned into a desert. This is evidenced by Diodorus of Sicily. The Scythians and Sarmatians are tribes that came from the east. The nomenclature of the Sarmatians is quite extensive. It is also known that there were several unions: Roksolans, linguists, Aorses, Siraki ... The culture of these nomads has many similarities with the Scythian. This can be explained by religious and linguistic kinship, that is, by common roots. Sarmatian animal style develops Scythian traditions. Its ideological symbolism persists. However, Scythians and Sarmatians are characterized by their own peculiarities in art. In Sarmatians, it is not just a borrowing, but a new cultural phenomenon. This art, which was born of a new era.

Development of Alans

The rise of the Alans, a new North Iranian nationality, occurs in the 1st century AD. E. They spread from the Danube to the Aral Sea. Alans participated in the marcoman wars that took place on the Middle Danube. They raided Armenia, Cappadocia and the Madia. These tribes controlled the Silk Road. The invasion of the Huns, which occurred in 375 AD E., Put an end to their domination in the steppe. A significant part of the Alans moved to Europe together with the Goths and Huns. These tribes have left their mark on the many toponyms that are found in the territories of Portugal, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and France. It is believed that the Alans with their cult of military valor and sword, with their military organization and a special attitude towards women, are at the root of European chivalry.

These tribes throughout the Middle Ages were a notable phenomenon in history. The legacy of the steppe is visibly felt in their art. Sown in the mountains of the North Caucasus, part of the Alans retained their language. They have become an ethnic basis in the formation of modern Ossetians.

Separation of Scythians and Savromats

Scythians in narrow meaning, that is, European Scythians, and Sauromats (Sarmatians), according to scientists, were divided no earlier than the 7th century BC. E. Until this time, their common ancestors inhabited the steppes of Ciscaucasia. Only after going to the countries beyond the Caucasus, the Sauromats and Scythians dispersed. From now on they began to live in different territories. Cimmerians and Scythians began to quarrel. The confrontation between these peoples resulted in the fact that the Scythians, having preserved the bulk of the North Caucasian plain, seized the Northern Black Sea coast. The Cimmerians who lived there, they partially supplanted, and partly subdued themselves.

Savromats now inhabited the steppes of the Urals, the Volga region and the Caspian Sea. The river Tanais (modern name - Don) was the boundary between their possessions and Scythia. In ancient times, the legend of the origin of the Sauromats from the Scythian marriages with the Amazons was popular. This legend was explained by why the Sauromatic women occupied a high position in society. They rode on par with men and even participated in wars.

Isedones

The Issedons also differed in gender equality. These tribes lived east of the Sauromates. They inhabited the territory of present-day Kazakhstan. These tribes were famous for their justice. They were attributed to peoples who did not know grievances and enmity.

Dakhi, Massageti and Saki

The dakhs dwelt near the Caspian Sea, on its eastern coast. And to the east of them, in semi-deserts and steppes of Central Asia, there were lands of Massagets and Saks. Cyrus II, the founder of the Achaemenid empire, in 530 AD. E. Made a campaign against the Massagets who inhabited the region near the Aral Sea. These tribes were ruled by Queen Tomiris. She did not want to become the wife of Cyrus, and he decided to take possession of her kingdom by force. The Persian army in the war against the Massagets was defeated, and Cyrus himself was killed.

As for the Saka of Central Asia, these tribes were divided into two groups: saki-haumavarga and saki-tigrahauda. So they were called Persians. The Tiger, translated from Old Persian, means "sharp," and the hauda means "helmet" or "cap." That is saki-tigrahauda - saki in pointed helmets (hats), and saki-haumavarga - venerating haomu (sacred drink of Aryans). Darius I, the Persian king, in 519 BC. E. He marched on the tribes of the Tigrahaud, conquering them. Skunkha, the captured leader of the Saks, is depicted on a relief carved by the order of Darius on the Behistun rock.

Scythian culture

It should be noted that Scythian tribes created a fairly high culture for their time. It was they who determined the path of the further historical development of many regions. These tribes participated in the formation of many peoples.

In the empire of Genghis Khan the Scythian chronicles were kept, rich literature was presented with legends and legends. There is reason to hope that most of these treasures have survived to our days in underground storages. The culture of the Scythians, unfortunately, remains poorly understood. In ancient Indian legends and Vedas, in Chinese and Persian sources it is said about the lands of the region of Siberia-Ural, on which the unusual people lived. Putorano Plateau, as they believed, were the abodes of the gods. These places attracted the attention of the rulers of India, China, Greece, Persia. However, interest usually ended in economic, military or other aggression against the great tribes.

It is known that the troops of Persia (Darius and Cyrus II), India (Arjuna and others), Greece (Alexander the Great), Byzantium, the Roman Empire, etc. invaded Scythia at different times. We are aware from historical sources and that, That Greeks showed interest in these tribes from Greece: the physician Hippocrates, the geographer Hecatius of Miletus, the tragedians Sophocles and Eshal, the poets Pandor and Alkaman, the thinker Aristotle, the logographer Damast, and others.

Two legends about the origin of Scythia, narrated by Herodotus

Herodotus told two legends about the origin of Scythia. According to one of them, Hercules, being here, met an unusual woman in the Black Sea (in the cave of the land of Gilea). Its lower part was a snake. Three sons were born from their marriage - Agathirs, Scythian and Gelon. From one of them the Scythians came.

Let's briefly describe another legend. According to her, the first person on earth appeared who was called Targitai. His parents were Zeus and Borisfena (daughter of the river). They had three sons: Arpoksai, Lipoksai and Kolaksay. The elder of them (Lipoksai) became the ancestor of the Scythians-Avhat. Trespii and katiari come from Arpoksai. And from Kolaksay, the youngest son, royal regalia. These tribes are collectively called scots, and the Greeks called them Scythians.

The entire territory of Scythia Kolaksay first divided into 3 kingdoms, which were inherited by his sons. One of them, where he kept gold, he made the largest. The area to the north of these lands is covered with snow. About I millennium BC. E. Scythian kingdoms arose. It was Prometheus' time.

The connection of the Scythians with Atlantis

Of course, we can not consider the history of the Scythian peoples as legends about the genealogy of kings. It is believed that the history of these tribes has its roots in Atlantis, an ancient civilization. This empire included, except for the island in the Atlantic Ocean, where the capital was located (Plato described it in the dialogues of Critias and Timaeus), lands in northwestern Africa, as well as Greenland, America, Scandinavia and northern Russia. It was also applied to all the areas around the North Pole. The island lands here are called Middle Earth. They were inhabited by distant ancestors of Asian and European peoples. On the map of G. Mercator, referring to 1565, these islands are represented.

Scythian farm

The Scythians are a people whose military might could be formed only on a strong socio-economic basis. And they had such a base. In Scythian lands more than 2,5 thousand years ago there was a warmer climate than in our time. The tribes developed livestock, farming, fishing, produced leather and succulent goods, fabrics, ceramics, metals and wood. Military equipment was produced. The quality and level of the products of the Scythians was not inferior to the Greek.

Tribes provided themselves with everything that was necessary. They were engaged in the extraction of gold, iron, copper, silver and other minerals. Scythian casting production reached a very high level. As reported by Herodotus, who compiled a description of the Scythians, in the 7th century BC. E., Under King Ariante, these tribes cast an enormous copper cauldron. The thickness of its wall was 6 fingers, and the capacity was 600 amphoras. It was cast on the Desna, to the south of Novgorod-Seversky. During the invasion of Darius, this cauldron was hidden to the east of the Desna. Here, mining of copper ore was also conducted. Scythian gold relics are hidden on the territory of Romania. It is a bowl and a plow with a yoke, and also a double-edged ax.

Trade of Scythian tribes

The trade was developed on the territory of Scythia. There were water and land trade routes along the European and Siberian rivers, the Black, Caspian and North Seas. In addition to war chariots and wheeled carts, the Scythians built river and sea winged warships at the shipyards of the Volga, Ob, Yenisei, at the mouth of the Pechora. Genghis Khan took from these places masters to create a fleet, designed to conquer Japan. Sometimes Scythians built underground tunnels. They paved them under large rivers, using mining technology. By the way, in Egypt and other countries, tunnels under the rivers were also laid. The press repeatedly reported on the underground passage that was under the Dnieper.

The lively trade routes from India, Persia, and China ran through the Scythian lands. The goods were delivered to the northern regions and Europe along the Volga, the Ob, the Yenisei, the Northern Seas, and the Dnieper. These paths operated until the 17th century. At that time on the banks there were cities with noisy bazaars and temples.

Finally

Every nation goes its own historical path. As for the Scythians, their path was not short. For more than a thousand years, they measured their history. For a long time the Scythians were the main political force on a large territory located between the Danube and the Don. The study of these tribes involved many outstanding historians and archaeologists. Research has not stopped to this day. They are joined by specialists representing related fields (for example, climatologists and paleogeographers). You can expect that the cooperation of these scientists will provide new information about what the Scythians were. The photos and information that was outlined in this article, hopefully helped you to get a general idea of them.