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Scythians The Scythians have been known to the surrounding peoples since ancient times. They are already mentioned by the Greek poet Hesiod (8th century BC). The legends about Hercules describe how he received his bow from the hands of the Scythian Tevtar, who taught him to shoot. The activity of Hercules dates back to the first half of the 13th century. BC. The legends about the Scythians are included in the most archaic Greek myths, such as the myth of the invention of agriculture, onions, copper smelting technology, etc. Unlike the Cimmerians, the Scythians knew how to smelt iron and make tools and weapons from it. The perfection of technology allowed them to push the Cimmerians. The majority of the population of Scythia of the Iron Age were all the same Cimmerians, who only changed their name, adopted the customs of the Scythians who conquered them. Herodotus noticed that, in general, the people of the Scythians are very numerous, although there were few real Scythians (that is, those who came from "Asia", because of the Don).

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Scythian weapons The Greek historian Herodotus expressed the true essence of the way of life of the Scythians in a short phrase: "Each of them is an equestrian shooter." The weapon was an indispensable accessory of every Scythian man, and often a woman. The equipment of the Scythian warriors was quite complex and was directly dependent on age, social status, wealth, etc. Equipment of the Scythian king. Reconstruction of Gorelik M.V. based on excavations from the Tolstaya Grave mound. Nikopol region. 4th century BC e. Noble Scythian warrior

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Bow and arrows The ancient historian Ammianus Marcellinus described the Scythian bow as follows: “At the same time, as the bows of all peoples are bent from bending trees, Scythian bows ... concave on both sides with wide and deep horns inward, have the appearance of the Moon during damage, and their middle separates straight and round bars. The Scythian bow had a shape close to the Greek letter "sigma", and a length of 60-70 cm (bows up to 1 m long were rarely used). The bow, along with the necessary stock of arrows, was stored in a special gore case, which was worn on the belt on the left side. Gorites had a trapezoidal or rectangular shape, they were made of wood, covered with leather, sometimes decorated with sewn-on plaques Schematic of the Scythian bow (according to F. Brown)

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Images of Scythian warriors 1 - on a silver vessel from the Voronezh kurgans; 2 - gold plaque from Kul-Oba; 3 - on an amphora from the Chertomlyk burial mound; 4 - gold coin of the Scythian king Atey; 5 - stone sculpture from the Donetsk region; 6 - reconstruction of the weapons of the Scythian leader based on finds from the Tolstaya barrow

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Electric vessel from the Kul-Oba mound with the image of the Scythians Scythian wooden bow. View from both sides of the Findings of Scythian arrowheads and slingshot cores in the Nikopol region (as of the beginning of 2012)

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Scythian arrowheads The arrowheads of the Scythians were mainly made of bronze, iron ones are less common. The earliest of them (VII-VI centuries BC) had a leaf-shaped or rhombic shape, the protruding sleeve was sometimes supplied with a sharp spike. BC have superseded the earlier ones. Bronze arrowheads from the first and second quiver sets. Nikopol district

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Sword and Dagger Swords and daggers are the same in shape, but their sizes are different. Daggers did not exceed 0.30–0.40 cm in length; swords are about twice as long - 0.50–0.70 m, they were intended for chopping and stabbing. Large chopping swords with a length of 1 m or more are less common in Scythia. The handle of the sword consisted of a pommel, the handle itself and a cross (hilt). Scythian swords of the VIII-VI centuries. BC. had bar-like or rectangular tops and crosspieces with a straight upper and rounded lower edge. A chronological sign is also a loop on the upper edge of the handle. Scythian swords. 7th-6th centuries BC. 1 - armored plates; 2 - the tip of the Scythian sword

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Handles of Scythian swords. 4th century BC. Kurgan Chertomlyk (Nikopol district) Scythian warriors armed with swords and daggers Scythian sword and hilt of a Scythian sword

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Battle axe, klevets, mace The Scythian battle ax (sagaris) is mentioned in the legend about the origin of the Scythians, among the sacred gifts that fell from the sky. Most often, axes had a narrow blade, a round eye and a tetrahedral or round butt-hammer. Sometimes they were decorated with images made in animal style. Scythian ax. Bronze. 5th century BC. Battle Scythian axe. Nikopol district

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In Scythian burials, sometimes there are klevtsy - a weapon in the form of an ax with a long blade-shaped butt. Klevtsy were used in close combat to inflict "pecking" blows on chain mail or armor. In the graves of noble Scythians, sometimes there are maces and shestopers (a kind of mace, in which the “apple” is split into six “feathers”). The mace is the most ancient type of cold percussion weapon, consisting of a shaft - a handle and a massive pommel in the form of a ball. Mace. Bronze. 4th century BC. Solokha

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Spear and dart One of the main types of Scythian offensive weapons was also a spear. It was used in equestrian and foot combat, could be both piercing and throwing weapons. Scythian spears had a length of 1.7-2.2 m, iron tips and iron inflows, which were put on the lower end of the shaft. In the VI-V centuries. BC. spears with rather thin and light laurel-shaped tips were used. In IV-III centuries. BC. most of the Scythian spears had tips with a long pointed nib, rhombic or oval in section. At the end of the IV century. BC. the Scythians had the so-called. "Assault" spears, the length of which was 2.5-3.1 m. 1 - Kapulovka I 2 - Kapulovka I 3 - Kapulovka II

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During the battle, the Scythian warriors also used darts - short spears with metal points. In the steppe Scythian burials, iron darts are often found, with a long sleeve and a small sting-like head. Darts were used mainly by mounted warriors as throwing weapons. The iron heads of the darts had a short stinger feather at the end of the rod, which was a continuation of the sleeve. The lower end of the dart was bound with iron, and its length was usually equal to the length of the spear. Tips of spears and darts. Iron. 4th century BC. Findings of Scythian spearheads and darts on the territory of the Nikopol region (as of the beginning of 2012)

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Sling Among throwing weapons, the Scythians often used a sling, consisting of a small bag and two straps attached to it. Having untwisted the sling and releasing one of the straps, the warrior sent a stone to the target with great speed, and with certain skills - with great accuracy. Scythian warrior with a sling.

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Helmet Significant development has reached the Scythians and protective vestments. In battle, shields, armor, battle belts, helmets and greaves (knemids) folded on a leather basis of small metal scales were widely used. Metal helmets were already known to the Scythians in the 7th century BC. In the VII-VI centuries. massive cast helmets of the Kuban (according to the place of most finds) or early Scythian type were common. They quite accurately conveyed the shape of the head, had a pea-shaped shape, a small cutout, bordered by arcs-rollers converging to the bridge of the nose, as well as holes intended for attaching cheek pads. Scythian helmet. 4th century BC.

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Scythian helmet. 6th century BC. Noble Scythian warriors in Greek helmets. 4th century BC.

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From the middle of the IV century. BC. used, along with the Greek, and local helmets with a metal set. They were made according to the same type as the shells. Scythian stacked helmets consisted of a leather base like a hood, on which iron plates were sewn. Cheek pads and aventail were attached either separately or formed a single whole with the helmet. Scythian combatants in helmets with a metal set. 4th century BC.

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The late Scythians of the Crimea and the Lower Dnieper region, along with helmets with a metal set, used cast bell-shaped helmets. Helmets of the late Scythians of the Crimea and the Lower Dnieper region.

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Combat belt Belts with a metal set were invented by the Scythians. In ancient literature, they were first mentioned in the 7th century. BC. Type-setting belt. Group of the Terrible Grave. Nikopol district

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The Scythians used scaly shells. Rectangular scales with a straight top and a rounded bottom were sewn onto a leather base - a shirt with short sleeves. The chest was protected by plates enough large sizes(epistema), shoulders - with smaller plates (mantle). Armor of the Scythian warriors. Reconstruction of Gorelik M.V.

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Scythian armor sleeves. Reconstruction of Gorelik M.V. Fragments of the iron shell. Nikopol district

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Carapace plates (1-3) and vorvarka (4) from the Seven Brothers barrows. Kuban, Russia Parts of defensive weapons from the Seven Brothers Kurgans

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Shield In the VI-IV centuries. BC. Scythian shields were oval, rectangular and almost square. On the ridge from the Solokha kurgan there are images of three various types Scythian shields. They were used to protect the warrior in close combat, and from enemy arrows. Often the shield was the only defensive weapon of ordinary Scythian warriors. Noble Scythian warriors and royal warriors with shields of various shapes. 4th century BC.

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The armament of the Scythian warriors of this era is beautifully reconstructed from the burials in the Kelermes, Ulsk and Kostroma mounds located in the Kuban. Researchers often associate the rich burials in the Kelermes mounds with the beginning of the 7th century AD. BC e. the exodus of the older generation of Scythians from the region of Asia Minor. The monuments found in these burials make it possible to recreate in detail the complex of weapons of the noble Scythian warrior of the era of the Near East campaigns.

The offensive armament of the Scythian horseman that developed at that time did not undergo significant changes until the famous Scythian-Persian war at the end of the 6th century. BC e. The bow, famous in antiquity, is a natural accessory of every Scythian. The Scythian bow had the form of a complex sigma-shaped arc with outwardly curved shoulders. This form is in many ways similar to the modern sports bow, but for antiquity it was quite unusual. It should be noted the small size of the Scythian bow, the length of which was about 60 cm. However, some bows could be up to 1 m long. The very shape of the Scythian bow suggests that it was composite, that is, it was made from several wooden parts that were glued together and could be wrapped with birch bark.

The bow and arrows of the Scythians were placed in a case, which was called burns and was characteristic feature Scythian weapons. It differs from a quiver in that it is intended primarily for storing a bow with a stretched bowstring. The arrows were placed in another compartment located on the outer surface of the case. Goritas were made of wood, sometimes reinforced with iron rods, and covered with leather. Unfortunately, we do not have any information about the existence of gorites and their form in the early period of Scythian history, except for images on stone sculptures, which allow us to determine it only approximately. It is possible that quivers were also in use at that time. A large quadrangular gold plate with the image of deer, found in the Kelermes mounds, is considered to be an ornament of the gorite. Recently, massive gold figures of a panther and a deer, which were previously considered decorations of shields, have been attributed to the overlays on the lit. In addition, metal and bone clasps were found on early monuments, which served to close the quiver valve.

The Scythian quiver set included from 50 ~ 60 to 200 or more arrows. The early period of the Scythian history was characterized mainly by two-bladed tips made of bronze, the shape of the feather was laurel-leaved or even rhomboid, sometimes a spike was located at the base to make extraction difficult. The tips are small in size, the shaft of the arrow was inserted into the sleeve. Three-lobed and triangular tips, as well as the use of iron and bone for their manufacture, are relatively rare, although in some regions one can note the predominance of such forms. Arrows were made not only from wood, but also from reed, or were composed of these two materials.

The main melee weapon of the Scythian horseman was a spear. Apparently, the length of the copies fluctuated between 1.7-2.2 m. Spearheads, with rare exceptions, were made of iron. Relatively thin laurel-shaped tips were used with a sleeve turning into a rib that goes up to the tip, or with a non-highlighted rib. The length of the tips varies between 30-50 cm. Thickenings in the form of rings were sometimes made at the base of the sleeve to give strength to the fastening of the tip.

A short sword - akinak - has always been an indispensable attribute of the Scythian horseman, serving not only as an offensive weapon, but also as a kind of confirmation of the status of a male warrior. No wonder it is mentioned by Herodotus as one of the central objects of the Scythian religious cult. It is impossible to draw a clear line between Scythian daggers and swords, since their shape is absolutely identical. It is curious that in early time a sword and a dagger are found simultaneously only in the richest tombs, the poorer warriors managed with only one akinak. It is believed that the length of daggers ranged from 17-40 cm, and swords - 50-70 cm, although some specimens reached larger sizes. Almost all Scythian swords are made of iron; in rare cases, the hilt or only the pommel was made of bronze. In the early period, there were akinaki with a blade, in which the blades ran parallel to each other. There was a crosshair on the blade, which could differ in various shapes, and a pommel was fixed on top of the handle. Early swords had a so-called "bar-shaped" (rectangular) pommel and a "kidney-shaped" or "butterfly-shaped" crosshair. Both of these types of crosshairs resemble an inverted “heart” figure, only in the “kidney-shaped” the sharp part is rounded, and in the “butterfly-shaped”, if it is not completely “heart-shaped”, the sides adjacent to the sharp part are concave (as in the sword presented in the reconstruction). In addition, there were so-called "antenna" (that is, bent up) tops.

Akinaki were worn in wooden scabbards covered with leather or fabric. The lower part had a thickening, for which the Persians tied a cord that held the scabbard in a vertical position. In the upper part of the scabbard there was a protrusion for attaching them to the belt, sometimes the mouth of the scabbard was shaped like the lower edge of the crosshair, and in some cases it was recessed into the scabbard. The Scythians wore swords on their right side, so that their lower part was directed to the left, on a horse they were shifted over the saddle. Probably, the absence of the need to tie the lower part led to the appearance of a scabbard without a thickening at the end. In the richest burials, the sheaths were covered with gold plates. The most remarkable are the scabbards from the Kelermes and Melgunov kurgans, which are reminiscent of Western Asian samples. These scabbards depict fantastic creatures, some of them holding bows in their hands, and in the upper part there is a tree with figures of winged geniuses on the sides. Judging by its size, in the early times akinak served mainly for stabbing blows. However, a certain number of long swords without pommel also belong to the early period, which, apparently, were used for cutting from a horse. By the end of the period, this type of swords disappears.

Rare weapons of the Scythians are axes and picks. They were worn, like swords, on the right side. Axes and picks were made mainly of iron, although bronze and bimetallic (made of bronze and iron) picks were recorded for the early period. Scythian battle axes were eye-shaped and had a variety of shapes, usually expanding towards the working part and slightly leaning down. The ax from the Kelermes burial mounds is unique, with its blade and butt expanding symmetrically from the eye part. The handle, butt and eye part of the ax are covered with gold plates with patterns in the Middle Asian style.

Source - compilation from various materials

According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, the most significant achievement of the Scythians was that "none of those who invaded them could flee" and could not capture them. According to him, the Scythians do not found cities or fortifications, but being horse archers they carry their houses with them. They got their food not by agriculture, but by raising livestock. “How can they not be invincible and inaccessible to attack,” the historian writes. A vivid confirmation of his words was the unsuccessful campaign of a huge Persian army led by King Darius I against Scythia in 512 BC. Instead of fortified cities, the nomads had a well-armed, disciplined army, which, from about the 7th century BC, was considered one of the most powerful forces operating in the territory of Western Asia, the Caucasus and the Northern Black Sea region. At the same time, studies about their movements are based mainly on archaeological finds of Scythian swords - akinaks.

Historians note that the sword, being a melee weapon, "never played a primary role in the armament of the Scythian warriors." The nomads were primarily famous for being excellent mounted archers. In general, akinak took only the third place among the weapons of nomads, of course, after a bow with arrows and a spear.

The sword, being a melee weapon, did not play a primary role

The sword was more an integral part of the so-called military aristocracy, but ordinary soldiers did not always have this weapon in their arsenal. In particular, therefore, as historians suggest, swords are relatively rare in the famous Scythian burial mounds, and this is in addition to the fact that cemeteries are often looted.

The handle of the Scythian sword of the 4th century BC. e.

Akinak, according to historians, is a Persian term that was used by the same Herodotus. According to the researchers, in the beginning it was mostly a dagger, the length of which fluctuated between 35 and 45 centimeters. However, subsequently the akinak became longer: its average length could already vary between 40 and 60 cm. In addition, it is noted that large specimens could also be in use. However, both short and long blades were characterized by double-edged blades, tapering towards the tip in the shape of a triangle. Thus, with such a sword it was possible to inflict cutting and stabbing blows.

Types of Scythian swords

True, the length of the blade did not affect the classification of akinak in any way. The typology of this type of weapon was compiled depending on a certain type of crosshair and pommel. For example, for between the 7th and 5th centuries BC new era various variants of rectangular or crescent-shaped pommel predominate.

Akinak was an integral part of the military aristocracy

Subsequently, zoomorphic pommel decorations began to appear in the design of the hilt, for example, in the form of heads of birds or horses. Crosshairs also had different kinds. In particular, swords with oval (kidney-shaped) and butterfly-shaped forms were common. Less popular were heart-shaped crosshairs or rectangular shapes. By the way, in the manufacture of the blade, as the researchers note, metal with a different carbon content was used, which made the blade plastic and flexible.

Akinak with scabbard tip

But little is known about the scabbard of the akinak. They were made of wood, which is why they almost did not survive. The exception was the ends of the scabbard, which were often made of metal or bone. Very often they also depicted animals. The scabbards of leaders and, in general, noble warriors could be decorated with gold. Speaking about the shape of the sword and scabbard, repeating its shape, researchers often note its cult role.

Akinak, according to historians, could correlate with a phallic symbol

For example, scientists assumed that the Scythians correlated the sword with the "world tree", which, as it were, was emphasized in its decor. In addition, the kidney-shaped and heart-shaped crosshairs, as well as the very shape of the sword in the view of the Scythians, could correlate with a phallic symbol. As confirmation of this theory, historians pay attention to the corresponding images of the male organ on the sculptures. At the same time, in addition to the Scythians, akinak was used in India and Persia. For example, in the fifth century BC, this sword was in the arsenal of the settled peoples of the Middle and Near East, they fought with such blades in Central Asia.

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The history of ancient edged weapons - the Scythian sword.

The most outstanding period in the history of ancient bladed weapons is the story of the swords of the Scythians: mounted warriors and nomads who lived in the territory of the modern south of Russia and Ukraine in the 7th-4th centuries BC. Until now, scientists argue about the origin of the Scythians. In the fourth part of his "History", "Melpomene", Herodotus wrote that the Scythian hordes invaded "from the depths of Asia." And this is just one version of the origin of the Scythians. There is a hypothesis that the Scythian tribes were formed as a result of the internal development of the peoples of the Northern Black Sea region and Ciscaucasia, during the transition to the Iron Age. At that time, iron became the main material for the production of weapons and tools, riding skills and horse harness were being improved. In the Scythian era, leaders and wealthy combatants appeared, whose remains archaeologists find in the steppe barrows. Military campaigns and robberies become a way of life for squads of aristocratic warriors. The article will tell a story about the Scythian sword, which was a faithful companion of the Scythian leaders and wealthy warriors.

When and how did the Scythian sword appear

Regarding the origin of the actual form of the Scythian short sword (many call it, like the Persian sword, akinak), there are three versions. The first suggests that the shape of the Scythian sword was borrowed by the Scythians in ancient Iran from the Persians and Medes. Supporters of the second version believe that it originated from the bronze daggers of the Siberian "Karasuk culture". The third version, which the author of these lines adheres to, is that the prototypes of Scythian swords are bimetallic swords and daggers of the so-called "Kabardino-Pyatigorsk" type, common in the 8th - first half of the 7th century BC. in the North Caucasus. These daggers were different types handles - solid cast with a "mushroom" pommel and "framed". Obviously, the frame-hilted swords eventually won out in the competition. In addition, bimetallic swords of the Scythian appearance with a bronze frame handle are also known in the Caucasus. They have a "classic" form of an archaic Scythian sword - a "butterfly" crosshair and a rectangular pommel. Interestingly, many classic Scythian swords of the 7th-6th centuries. BC, which were forged entirely of iron, had a groove on the handle, which was displayed on a special mandrel. This groove is a “rudiment” of the bimetallic origin of the Scythian sword, an imitation of a bronze framed handle. Thus, we can assume that the form of the Scythian sword was formed in the North Caucasus in the first half of the 7th century BC.

The device of the Scythian sword-akinak

First of all, this sword was short and was intended for close combat on foot as a cutting and stabbing weapon. The dimensions of the Scythian sword-dagger range from 25 to 60 cm, but on average its length with the hilt is 35–45 cm. Kelermes sword (one of the longest early Scythian swords), the length of the ceremonial golden scabbard was 47 cm, respectively, the blade was slightly shorter. A small dagger with a hilt overlaid with gold leaf was also found in the same barrow. Therefore, we can assume a different function of short and long swords.

Sword in a sheath from a mound near the village of Kelermesskaya. Second half of the 7th century BC.

Sword and scabbard from the Tolstaya Mogila mound, 4th century BC BC.

The blade was double-edged and had the shape of a strongly elongated triangle, or the blades of the blade were parallel, sharply tapering in its last third. There are also single-edged Scythian swords, but they are rare. The cross section of the blade could be lenticular or rhombic, i.e. the blacksmith specially removed the stiffening rib. Metallographic studies of the blades of Scythian swords from the steppe and forest-steppe zones and the Caucasus (Tliysky burial ground) showed that cementation (deliberate carburization) of both blanks and finished products was often used to improve working qualities. Sometimes a "package" was also used, when strips of iron with different carbon contents were used to prepare the blade. More carburized metal was used to remove the working part. The blades of such swords are more plastic and flexible, and with a targeted selection of metal layers with different compositions, even greater advantages can be achieved over products forged from a homogeneous metal. Actually, the appearance of this technological technique was the first step in the blacksmith's craft to welded Damascus.

The blade, together with the handle, was forged from a strip blank, then a separately forged crosshair and pommel were attached to it by forge welding on both sides. The earliest crosshairs, as we wrote above, had a "butterfly" or "kidney" shape. They are typical for swords of the 7th-5th centuries BC. In the IV century. BC. the "butterfly" shape is transformed into a triangular one. This is the most popular form of the crosshair of later Scythian swords. Early finials are bar-shaped, sometimes their front contour is close to an oval. The pommel was also forged separately, a hole was punched in it with a punch, into which the end of the handle was inserted, then the pommel together with the handle was forged hot. Some early "beam-shaped" pommel had a through hole in the front, where, obviously, a cord was threaded, like a lanyard. Sometimes this hole was made in the upper part of the handle. Somewhat later, in the VI century. BC, tops appear, in which the edges of the bar twisted in the form of volutes. Another modification of this form was not the volutes, but the heads of birds of prey. Thus, the pommel of the sword was made in the "animal style" characteristic of the Scythian era. And, finally, another variation of this form - the ends of the rod, mounted on the hilt, designed in the form of volutes or heads of birds of prey, close, and the pommel acquires a rounded contour. On the reliefs of the Persepolis Apadana, the image of akinaki with a bar-like pommel and a “butterfly-shaped” crosshair is repeated many times. These akinaki are armed with the Median guard of King Darius I, as well as many delegations of tributaries. Only once is there an image of an akinak with a “horned” pommel, reminiscent of the zoomorphic pommel of Scythian swords. It is carried as a gift to Darius by a member of the delegation of warriors dressed in hoods and having goritas suspended from their belts (special cases where bows and arrows were placed). Obviously, these were representatives of the Scythian-Sak tribes.

The oldest ceremonial swords from the Kelermes and Melgunov burial mounds

The Scythians carried their swords and daggers in wooden scabbards. Unfortunately, the wood is very poorly preserved, and it is difficult to judge the shape of the scabbard of an "ordinary" Scythian sword.

The ends of these scabbards, the so-called buteroli, which were made of metal or bone, are better preserved. They were semi-oval. The earliest of them were decorated in the "animal style". Most often, they depicted a "curled predator". We know much more about the scabbards of the richest Scythian swords that belonged to the leaders, since these scabbards had gold lining.

The earliest of them belong to the famous sword from the Kelermes burial mounds and the very close Melgunov sword. The iron parts of the hilts of these swords (the pommel, the hilt itself and the crosshair) and the scabbard also had gold lining. The pommel and hilt were decorated with floral and geometric ornaments. The crosshair depicts two "geniuses" standing at the sacred "tree of life". The same composition is repeated at the mouth of the scabbard. On the sheath itself, the master depicted a procession of fantastic animals - griffins. The end of the scabbard - buterol - is decorated with two opposing grinning lions. The sheath has protruding blades with a hole. These blades depict a classic Scythian "flying" deer. Interestingly, similar blades are also found on the sheaths of Persian akinaks.

The motif of geniuses standing near a sacred tree is characteristic of Urartian bronze belts, while the deer depicted on the blade of the scabbard is purely Scythian. Scientists believe that the scabbards of both swords were made in the workshops of Urartu by masters captured during the Scythian campaigns.

How Scythian swords were worn

From the reliefs of the Persepolis Apadana, we know that the sword was worn on the right side, tying the scabbard to the leg by the buterole. A similar way of wearing was also characteristic of the archaic Scythian swords. But the suspension of the sword on the belt to the left of the buckle (with the handle under right hand). A similar method is traced on the oldest image of a Scythian sword in a sheath with a blade on a statue dating back to the 7th century BC, found near the village. Nizhny Kurkuzhin in Kabardino-Balkaria.

Harness block of the Kelermes sword

More recently, it was possible to establish the purpose of a hitherto incomprehensible cruciform object called the "key". This "key" turned out to be a "harness block" used to hang the scabbard from the belt. Most of the later Scythian sculptures of the 6th-5th centuries BC. shows us the wearing of "akinak" in front, similar to how Caucasians now wear their daggers.

Later swords of the Scythian kings

The latest swords are ceremonial Scythian swords found in the huge steppe "Royal mounds" of the second half of the 4th century BC. As a rule, they have handles overlaid with gold leaf with a rounded or oval pommel and triangular crosshairs. Blades of swords in the upper part have cutouts. These cutouts are a characteristic detail of late Scythian ceremonial swords. The lightening of the most massive part of the blade was caused by the desire to bring the center of gravity of the sword closer to the point of impact, which indicates the high professionalism of the Scythian gunsmiths. More recently, at the exhibition "Golden Deer of Eurasia" in the Hermitage, an akinak sword from a mound near the village of Filippovka, Orenburg Region (4th century BC) was demonstrated. The central part of the sword blade is openwork, where figured cuts and stamped heads of birds of prey alternate, plated with gold. How this could be done at such an early time is a mystery.

Sword from the burial mound Chertomlyk. The handle of the Persian akinak of the late VI - early V centuries. BC, blade - IV century. BC.

Of the swords originating from the steppe "Tsar's barrows", only the sword from the Chertomlyk barrow was analyzed metallographically. Oddly enough, it was forged from simple bloomery iron; no technological methods were applied to it to improve its working qualities (cementation, hardening, tempering). Such blades were forged by Scythian blacksmiths in the lower reaches of the Dnieper at the Kamensky settlement (now Kamenka, Dneprovskaya, Zaporozhye region). At the same time, blacksmiths in the Bosporan cities and on the periphery of the steppe Scythia (in the modern forest-steppe zone of Ukraine and the North Caucasus) used all the technological innovations of blacksmithing. It is possible that the blades were specially forged for burial, so the "fighting qualities" of the blade were not so important. Attention, first of all, was paid to the decoration of this weapon.

As a rule, gold applied plates for decorating scabbards in the 4th century BC. BC. made by Greek jewelers. They often depicted scenes of deer being tormented by predators and fantastic creatures - griffins, beloved by the Scythians. They were made by the technique of punching (by imprinting and wiping) a gold leaf on a bronze matrix. An interesting fact is that scabbard covers from different burial mounds were made from the same matrix. The blades of the ceremonial scabbards of late Scythian swords are small, almost triangular in shape. Like the early parade scabbards, they depicted some kind of animal, a fantastic creature, or an entire scene. On the blade of the scabbard of the sword from the Tolstoy Grave is a griffin with the body of a lion, wings and a horn, and on the ceremonial scabbard from Chertomlyk is a bird-headed griffin tormenting the head of a deer.

Of great interest is the sword with the handle of the Persian akinak of the late 6th - early 5th centuries BC. and an openwork Scythian blade of the 4th century BC. This find testifies to the unsuccessful campaign of the Persian king Darius I to the Scythian lands in 512 BC, about which Herodotus wrote. This trophy sword was passed down from generation to generation of Scythian kings for almost 150 years, until in the second half of the 4th century BC. a new blade was not attached to it. After that, he ended up in a set of weapons that accompanied the richest and most noble leader, who was buried under the mound of the Chertomlyk mound.

sword worship

Another important aspect of the role of the sword in the life of the Scythians is its indispensable participation in Scythian rituals. The sword was used by the Scythians in rituals that sealed an agreement or an oath, and was also a symbol of the most revered god - the god of war Ares. The "Father of History" describes in detail the ritual of bloody sacrifices to this deity. In ancient times, the sword was given a special role - the guardian of military strength, an attribute of the power of the king, and, apparently, that is why among the steppe Scythians (according to Herodotus - "Royal Scythians") we find swords only in the graves of kings and the most noble warriors. P.S. Actually among the Scythians, archaeologists have not yet been able to trace the remains of the temples of Ares. But in the northwestern Caucasus, in the lands of the southern neighbors of the Scythians - the Meotians, a burial mound-sanctuary of the 4th century BC was found. BC, fully consistent with the description of Herodotus. A wooden tent construction (cf. "heap of brushwood") and the remains of animal and human sacrifices were found here. Even human skeletons with severed hands have been found. And in the center of this whole structure was a sword. True, not Scythian, but Meotian. But that's a completely different story.

Melee weapons have existed almost since the appearance of the first people on earth. Every year the developments become more perfect and practical. Today, it is possible to designate edged weapons with a long history and very modern designs. Today we will try to make out one of the ancient blades - "akinak", which was still in service with the Scythians.

"Akinak" is a long dagger or short sword with a crosshair. Such a blade was used, as a rule, for both piercing and chopping blows. The weapon was used in close combat by foot soldiers.

Along with all its fighting qualities, "Akinak" is an integral part of the culture of the ancient Scythians. Thanks to the found swords, archaeologists managed to trace the routes of the Scythians' resettlement.

"Akinak" originates from the North Caucasus and appeared in the seventh century BC, later the blade spread among the inhabitants of the steppes. Such a sword was not only a weapon, but also indicated the status of the one who carried it. By the blade, it was possible to identify military aristocrats, and to determine to which class a person belonged.

In addition to the Scythian tribes, the Akinaki blades were popular with the inhabitants of India, the Argipeys, Sakas, Massagets and Persians. So in the fifth century BC, such blades walked among the settled peoples of the Middle and Near East, and only later their images began to be found on objects that had a direct connection with the "Ahemedin" power.

For a very long time, akinaki blades were used in Central Asia. The blade had a triangular shape with narrow fullers and sharply converging blades towards the tip (which is very typical for Western Iranian swords).

The first daggers were not very long. But with the development of metallurgy, the length of the blades began to increase. Now in the world there are three versions of how the length of the blade was increased, and why in the end it became a short sword. According to the first version, the shape of the blade was taken from the tribes of the Persians. The second version says about the birth of this blade in the North Caucasus around the eighth century BC. And if you believe the third version, then the blade came out of the Siberian "Karasuk" culture and became a descendant of the so-called bronze daggers.

The length of the weapon varied from thirty-five to forty-five centimeters, and the blade was only twenty or thirty centimeters. But there were specimens even exceeding fifty centimeters in length, although there were not many such finds. Often, daggers had two-sided sharpening and less often (one might say extremely rarely) one-sided.

The blades were made with a diamond-shaped or lenticular section with a stiffener. For "akinak" the crosshairs of the kidney-shaped and heart-shaped type are characteristic, and from the fourth century this section acquired a triangular shape.

Sometimes in the manufacture of the blade, the craftsmen used metal with different carbon content, such a blade was very plastic and flexible. The "top" of the blade was made flat, most often in the form of a crescent.

Starting from the fifth century, “tops” began to be made in the form of heads of animals and birds. There is practically nothing to say about the scabbards for "akinaki", only that they were made of wood and therefore have practically not been preserved to our time. The ends of the scabbard have survived to us in the best condition, as they were made of bone and metal.

Often, animals were depicted on them, and the lining on the scabbards of leaders and other significant persons was made of gold. It is worth noting that the gold of the Scythians has attracted treasure hunters since ancient times. There are known cases of discovery of huge Scythian treasures with thousands of items made of precious metal. However, even today the hunt for the treasures of the ancient nomads does not stop.