Barry Cunlife - The Scythians

bodies clothed in skins
8.2 Silver vessel from the tomb of Gaymanova mogila. The figures are picked out in gold. The two scenes,
showing elite males in discourse, provide details of clothing and weapons (see Gallery, no. 3).
Fig 8.2
8.3 The gold torc from the tomb of Kul’-Oba was made from twisted wire. Its cast terminals are in the
form of Scythian riders confronting each other.
The dress of the Central Asian Scythians seems to have been broadly similar to
that of those living on the Pontic steppe. The famous relief at Bisitun of the Sakā king,
Skuka, being brought before Darius, shows him with a thigh-length belted tunic,
trousers, and a pointed hat, in this case with the neck flap turned up. This dress is
similar to that of the Sakā ambassadors depicted on the reliefs of the Apadāna in
Persepolis. The prince (or princess) from the Issyk kurgan in Kazakhstan wore the
same style of clothing, the only difference being that the tunic was shorter and the
boots, tunic, and hat were elaborately decorated with gold appliqué.
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