Warrior’s grave reveals ornate Scythian treasures

Heritage Daily ^ | November 19, 2021 | RAS Institute of Archaeology

[SunkenCiv]

Archaeologists excavating a warrior’s grave have discovered Scythian treasures in the Ostrogozhsky District of Voronezh region, Russia.

The Scythians were an ancient nomadic people living primarily in the region known as Scythia, which today comprises the Eurasian steppes of Kazakhstan, the Russian steppes of the Siberian, Ural, Volga and Southern regions, and eastern Ukraine.

Excavations were conducted by the Don Expedition from the Institute of Archaeology at the Russian Academy of Science, where the researchers have been excavating the Devitsa V necropolis that consists of 19 burial mounds.

A study of mound 7 in the centre of the cemetery revealed a wooden tomb constructed with seventeen large oak pillars, covered with half oak beams that dates from the 4th century BC.

Within the burial was the skeleton of a man aged around 40-49 years of age, in addition to small gold semi-sphere plates, an iron knife, a horse rib, a spearhead and three javelins. Adjacent to the burial the team also discovered horse harnesses, six bronze plates in the shape of wolves, the cut jaw from a young bear, a moulded cup, and several black-glazed vessels.

The most notable discovery is a silver plate measuring 34.7 cm by roughly 7.5 cm, that depicts several deities, including the goddess Artimpasa, who was generally associated with fertility, power over sovereignty and the priestly force. Artimpasa was also an androgynous goddess of warfare, fecundity, vegetation and was the Scythian variant of the Iranian goddess Arti that Herodotus also equated with Aphrodite Urania.

Artimpasa is presented on the plate surrounded from both sides with the figures of winged eagle-headed griffons, that archaeologists suggest is a representation of the cultural fusion of traditions between Asian Minor and Ancient Greece.

[SunkenCiv]

RAS Institute of Archaeology

[SunkenCiv]

[Red Badger]

Exquisite!.................

[Red Badger]

Ancestor of Excalibur!................

[z3n]

"...comprises the Eurasian steppes of Kazakhstan, the Russian steppes of the Siberian, Ural, Volga and Southern regions, and eastern Ukraine."

!~~~

[larrytown]

Well, I hope they’ll put everything back where they found it, now that they’ve gotten all the info they needed.

Otherwise isn’t this just highly publicized grave robbing?

[Chewbarkah]

Scythians are somehow endlessly fascinating. The grave might have “hardened” over time, but the contemporary appearance suggests it had to be chiseled into the ground. I wonder: A) whether the number 17 had significance other than what worked structurally; and B) how common oak trees were in the region at the time of the burial — I don’t think of oaks on the steppe, but that’s likely my ignorance. Determining which deity is represented on the silver bar requires some darned impressive expertise. Thanks for posting this.

[Ezekiel]

Archaeologists excavating a warrior’s grave have discovered Scythian treasures

Found at last after 2400 years! Talk about scythes of relief..

[SunkenCiv]

No, it’s archaeology. Find a non-archaeology topic to troll instead.

[larrytown]

It’s a valid observation, not a troll.

Where is all this INFORMATION and these ARTIFACTS ending up? And I mean ending up in the LONG-TERM?

Information will usually be lost eventually*, and artifacts will deteriorate and be lost or dispersed without their accompanying data/information - and all the grand effort and lovely discoveries will be for naught.

With no way whatsoever of regaining this information - because the ground has been cleansed of the past.

Even the greatest discoveries (such as the Tut burial) are deteriorating and being slowly lost. Those tombs in the desert were the best place to preserve them.

* this is especially the case with ‘digital information’.

[SunkenCiv]

Archaeology isn’t graverobbing, so, yes, it is a troll, and it used to be a somewhat common one around here. Even the really dumb usual trolls stopped doing it some time ago.

[SunkenCiv]

Heh...

[SunkenCiv]

Using oak may have been a sign of power and/or wealth — not many around, let’s use 19 of ‘em for my tomb. :^) Or, maybe construction and keeping warm and cooking with fire is what happened to all of them, and kept the Scythians nomadic.

OTOH, Herodotus’ description of the Persian invasion of Scythia suggests it was mostly open plains even then.

[larrytown]

Looks like there was a body in that hole. Grave.

Betcha that 'body' is in a box on some anonymous shelfing unit somewhere now.

How will archeology be viewed in a thousand years from now, when most of the information gained and the items removed from in situ are gone?

It's a valid observation, which most archeologists don't want to discuss.

I used to think the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act was a terrible thing, but it really is a model for how these activities should be managed.

Truth is not a troll.

[rfp1234]

[SunkenCiv]

Silver plate showing topless Scythian goddess unearthed in Russia
By Owen Jarus published 8 days ago
https://www.livescience.com/silver-plate-shows-scythian-goddess