Barry Cunlife - The Scythians

In this Gallery ten objects have been chosen for individual consideration. All
come from the excavations of elite burials on the Pontic steppe and all date to the
fourth century bc. What gives them a particular relevance is that each one is decorated
with scenes that illuminate Scythian life. We have had cause to refer to them a
number of times in the preceding pages when dealing with themes such as personal
appearance, clothing, weapons, and warfare. But by focusing on aspects of detail, as
we have done, there is a danger that the integrity of the item will be lost sight of. It is
for this reason that selected objects are presented here in their entirety.
But can the depictions be taken as true representations of Scythians and Scythian
life? All were probably made by highly skilled Greek craftsmen working in one of
the Greek colonies on the northern Black Sea coast, most likely Panticapaeum on
the Kerch peninsula of the Crimea. The forms, the decorative motifs, and the technological
skills employed are clearly Greek. But these items were made specifically
for the top echelons of the Scythian elite and it was they who would have dictated
what was pictorially acceptable: depictions of significant events in Scythian history,
mythologies, and social interactions embodying the value systems of their nomadic
ancestry. Had the scenes not been true to Scythian culture the items would surely
not have been accepted. Yet there is still the lingering suspicion that they may slyly
nod to the Greek caricature of the Scythians—barbarians with straggly hair and long
beards, wearing pointed hoods, baggy embroidered trousers, and long belted coats.
It is tempting to wonder whether the Greek goldsmiths, in the interests of accuracy,
used props—perhaps manikins dressed in Scythian clothes and a set of Scythian
weapons. We will never know. It may not have been necessary. By the fourth century
the interaction between Greeks and Scythians was profound. Scythians were
present, probably in some number in the principal Greek colonies, and it is highly
likely that Greek traders and even Greek craftsmen travelled extensively through
Scythian territory and were resident for periods of time at the great inland markets.
These interactions provided ample opportunity for the two cultures to learn of each
other’s ways. While it is possible that the Scythians depicted on these objects may
have been a little stylized, that the patrons accepted them gives us some reassurance
that what we are seeing is a fair representation of the way in which the Scythian elites
saw themselves.
The objects chosen here are housed in the two great collections of Scythian artefacts,
the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg and the Kiev Museum of Historical
Treasures.
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