Barry Cunlife - The Scythians

gallery of objects
appears to be riding bareback. The dismounted warrior is also heavily armed, wearing
a metal helmet, body armour, and a short Greek-style skirt. He carried his shield
on his left arm and holds a short sword in his right hand as he advances. His scabbard
is attached to his belt on the left side. His dying horse has no saddle.
The scene clearly represents the crucial stage of a battle. Two high-status warriors
have just clashed and one has been unmounted, his injured horse writhing in agony.
He approaches his enemy, who is supported by a fighter of lower rank, probably a
retainer. It is a tense moment; the onlooker’s attention is fully engaged, anxious to
know what will happen. In all probability the piece illustrates a significant event in
Scythian history. The fact that the principal occupant of the Solokha grave, whose
comb this is, was accompanied by greaves, a Greek helmet, and iron scale armour,
just like the rider, suggests that the scene may illustrate an incident in his life. One
writer has argued that the occupant may be King Octamasades.
The comb is valuable for the information it provides about armour and weapons,
particularly the acceptance of Greek body armour among the Scythian elite. It also
shows an interesting variety of shield types, reminding us of the possibility that the
form and decoration of the shield may have proclaimed status or lineage.
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