Barry Cunlife - The Scythians

scythians in central asia
Something of the grandeur of these aristocrats can be appreciated by a spectacular
discovery made in 1970 at Issyk, 50 km east of Almaty. The cemetery at Issyk is
large, comprising sixty-seven kurgans, but many of them had been plundered with
their central graves dug out at some time in antiquity. A farmer ploughing over one
of them spotted gold glistening in the furrow and reported his find. In the professional
excavation that followed it was confirmed that the central grave had been
robbed but the gold had come from a side chamber built of fir logs in which the
body of a young man or woman aged 17 or 18 had been interred. The deceased wore
a red leather tunic, tight trousers, and red boots covered with some 4,000 gold
ornaments. Even more remarkable was his/her headdress. It was sharply pointed,
0.65 m high, and surmounted by a model ram. On the front of the base were fabulous
animals carved out of wood and covered in gold leaf, while on the side and
back were animals cut out of gold foil—snow leopards, ibexes, winged tigers, and
birds, all placed in a landscape setting. The front was further enhanced with four
miniature spears which appear to be growing out of a leafed calyx. It is altogether a
stunning creation, no doubt redolent of meaning but now beyond recovery.
The body wore a belt decorated with gold animal figures from which hung a sword
and a dagger, both in decorated sheaths. Around the neck was a gold neck ring with
attached lions’ heads. Two gold rings adorned the fingers. He/she also carried a whip
bound in gold as a symbol of authority. Among the many other items buried with the
body was a silver bowl with an inscription which remains undeciphered. This burial,
we must remember, was in a secondary position in the kurgan. For this reason he/she
is usually referred to as a prince (or princess). How magnificent had been the robbed
central burial must remain a matter of speculation.
The relationship of the occupants of these rich graves to the farmers living in the
villages is unclear but in all probability they were an aristocratic elite commanding
dedicated bands of mobile followers with little or no direct contact with the sedentary
farmers other than to demand their subservience and a tithe of their produce in
return for protection.
The Frozen Tombs of the Altai
The Altai and Sayan Mountains lie within the steppe zone but their great height has
created a varied vegetation. The southern slopes exposed to the sun tend to retain
their steppe flora while the north-facing slopes are wooded. The upland plateaus and
valleys with their rich subalpine meadows provide an ideal environment for stock
rearing all year round. Another great advantage of the region is that the high winds
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