Barry Cunlife - The Scythians

the rise of the pontic steppe scythians
repertoire of the craftsmen working for the Scythian aristocracy. Figures of animals
in Near Eastern style mingle with nomadic beasts, while compositions incorporating
the tree of life that enlivened the gold sheaths of the swords from Kelermes and
from the Melgunov kurgan would not have been out of place in Urartu or Assyria. It
remains a strong possibility that among the spoils returning to the north Caucasus
were captive craftsmen highly valued for their skills.
That the return of Scythian freebooters from their adventures in Asia Minor was
not always welcome is reflected in the story told by Herodotus about the force that
had been away for 28 years.
5.2a/b Iron sword with a gold handle in a gold sheath from the kurgan of Kelermes in the Kuban (seventh
century). The scabbard is decorated with fabulous creatures (detail) similar to motifs current in the
Kingdom of Urartu, south of the Caucasus, suggesting that it may have been made by Urartian craftsmen.
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