Nomad Warriors of the Steppe

The Scythians, brilliant horsemen and great fighters, were nomadic horsemen who ranged widely across the Asian steppe's grasslands, from the Altai mountains in the east to the Great Hungarian Plain, during the first millennium BC. Bordering a number of sedentary states to the south, including the Chinese, Persians, and Greeks, the Scythians inevitably interacted with their neighbours. They fought the Persians on several occasions, killing their king in one battle and driving the invading army of Darius the Great from the steppe on another. Relations with the Greeks around the shores of the Black Sea were rather different, with both communities benefiting from trading with each other. This led to the development of a brilliant art style, often depicting scenes from Scythian mythology and everyday life.

It is from the writings of Greeks like the historian Herodotus that we learn about Scythian life: their beliefs, burial practices, love of fighting, and ambivalent attitudes towards gender. This lost world of the Scythians is also brilliantly illuminated by the rich material culture recovered from their burials, from the graves of kings on the Pontic steppe, with their elaborate gold work and vividly coloured fabrics, to the frozen tombs of the Altai mountains, where all the organic material, including wooden carvings, carpets, saddles, and even tattooed human bodies, is amazingly well preserved.

In this masterful reconstruction, Barry Cunliffe marshals a vast array of evidence, both archaeological and textual, to allow the Scythians to emerge in all their considerable vigour and splendour for the first time in over two millennia. The Scythians, a people who were once dominant across the Asian steppe, have long captivated the imagination of scholars and the public alike, and this work provides a comprehensive and engaging account of their history and culture.

The Scythians were a nomadic people who roamed across the vast grasslands of the Asian steppe, from the Altai mountains in the east to the Great Hungarian Plain, during the first millennium BC. They were renowned for their skill as horsemen and their prowess in battle, and they interacted extensively with the sedentary states that bordered their territories, including the Chinese, Persians, and Greeks.

The relationship between the Scythians and their neighbours was complex and multifaceted. On the one hand, they fought the Persians on several occasions, even killing their king in one battle and driving the invading army of Darius the Great from the steppe on another. On the other hand, their interactions with the Greeks around the shores of the Black Sea were more collaborative, with both communities benefiting from trading with each other. This cross-cultural exchange led to the development of a unique and brilliant Scythian art style, which often depicted scenes from their mythology and everyday life.

Our knowledge of the Scythians comes largely from the writings of Greek historians, such as Herodotus, who provided detailed accounts of their beliefs, burial practices, and attitudes towards gender. This textual evidence is further complemented by the rich material culture that has been recovered from Scythian burials, including the elaborately decorated graves of their kings on the Pontic steppe and the remarkably well-preserved organic remains found in the frozen tombs of the Altai mountains.

In this comprehensive work, Barry Cunliffe draws upon this vast array of archaeological and textual evidence to present a masterful reconstruction of the lost world of the Scythians. Through his meticulous analysis and vivid storytelling, Cunliffe allows these remarkable nomadic horsemen to emerge in all their vigour and splendour, shedding new light on a people who have long captured the imagination of scholars and the public alike.

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