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Scythies Scythians were known to those surrounding people from ancient times. They are already mentioned at the Greek poet of the Gesiod (8 V. BC). In the legends about Hercules, it was described how he got his onions from the hand of Scythian Teutar, who trained it to shoot. Hercules activity refers to the first half of the XIII century. BC. Traditions of Scythians are included in the most archaic Greek myths, such as the myth of the invention of agriculture, onions, copper smelting technology, etc. Unlike Kimmerians, the Scythians were able to sell iron and make it the tool and weapons from it. The perfection of technology allowed them to be crowded Cimmerians. The majority of the Scythian population of the Iron Age constituted all the same kimmerys, who only changed their name, who made the customs conquered their Scythians. Herodotus noticed that in fact, the people of Scythians are very numerous, although these Scythians (that is, there were few of those who came from Asia, because of Don).

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Scythian weapons The true essence of the lifestyle of the Scythians Greek historian Herodotus expressed in a short phrase: "Each of them is equestrian shooter." The weapon was the indispensable affiliation of each Scythian man, and often a woman. The equipment of the Scythian warriors was quite complex and was directly dependent on age, social status, prosperity, etc. Equipment Scythian king. Reconstruction of Gorelika M.V. Based on the materials of the excavations from Kurgan, the fat grave. Nikopolsky district. IV century BC e. Notable Scythian Warrior

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Bow and arrows Ancient historian Ammonian Marcellin described the Scythian onions: "At the same time, as Lukes of all nations bend from the bending trees, Luke Scythian ... concave on both sides wide and deep horns inside, have the kind of moon during damage, and their middle of them shares the straight and round bar. " Scythian bow had a form close to the Greek letter "Sigma", and a length of 60-70 cm (bows up to 1 m long were rarely used). Onions, together with the required reserve of arrows kept in a special case, burning, which was rushed on the belt on the left side. The mountains had a trapezoidal or rectangular shape, they were made of wood, covered with skin, sometimes decorated with nasive plaque scheme of the Scythian bows (according to F. Brown)

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Images of Scythian soldiers 1 - on a silver vessel from Voronezh Kurgans; 2 - gold plaque from cul-form; 3 - on amphore from Kurgan Chertomyl; 4 - Golden coin of the Scythian king athea; 5 - Stone sculpture from the Donetsk region; 6 - Reconstruction of the armament of the Scythian leader by finds from the Kurgan thick

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Electric vessel from Kurgan Kul-both depicting Scythian Scythian wooden bow. View from two sides of the findings of the Scythian arrows and nuclei from the Paramia on the territory of Nikopolsky district (as of the beginning of 2012)

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The tips of the Scythian arrows tips of the Scythians, mostly, were made from bronze, the iron is less common. The earliest of them (VII-VI centuries BC) had a leafoid or rhombic shape, the protruding sleeve was sometimes supplied with a sharp thorns of the truth, then the tips of a three-bladed or triangular form appeared, which by the end of the VI century. BC Used earlier. Bronze arrow tips from the first and second river set. Nikopolsky district

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The sword and dagger on the shape of a sword and daggers are the same, but their size is different. Daggers did not exceed 0.30-0.40 cm long; Swords are about two times longer than 0.50-0.70 m, they were intended to apply chopping and stitching. Large chopping swords with a length of 1 m and more in Scythia are less common. The sword's handle consisted of imparting, actually handles and crosses (Ephesus). Scythian swords of the VIII-VI centuries. BC. They had brucupless or rectangular screws and crosses with a direct upper and rounded lower edge. Chronological admission is also a loop on the upper edge of the handle. Scythian swords. VII-VI centuries. BC. 1 - shell plates; 2 - Scythian sword tip

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Handles of Scythian Swords. IV century BC. Kurgan Chertomylk (Nikopolsky district) Scythian warriors armed with swords and daggers Scythian sword and Scythian sword handle

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Combat ax, Klevts, Bulava Martial Scythian ax (Sagaris) is mentioned in the legend about the origin of the Scythians, among the sacred gifts that fell from the sky. Most often, the axes had a narrow blade, a round eye and a four-moisture, or a round volatile hammer. Sometimes they were decorated with images made in the animal style. Scythian ax. Bronze. V c. BC. Battle Scythian ax. Nikopolsky district

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In Scythian burials, there are sometimes klevtsi - weapons in the form of secrets with long clincolous male. Klevoves were joined in the melee for applying the "key" of shocks on the mail or shell. In the burials of noble Scythians, there are sometimes masts and sixfolds (a variety of Bulava, which "Apple" split into six "feathers"). Bulava is the most ancient look of cold shock weapons consisting of a tree - handles and massive screwing in the form of a ball. Mace. Bronze. IV century BC. Solokha

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Spear and dart One of the main types of Scythian offensive armaments was also a spear. It was used in equestrian and walk the battle, it could be both stitching and throwing weapons. Scythian spears had a length of 1.7-2.2 m, iron tips and iron fees that were put on the lower end of the tree. In the VI-V centuries. BC. Spears were used with rather thin and light lugs of the laurel form. In the IV-III centuries. BC. Most Scythian copies had tips with a long-shaped long pen, rhombic or oval in context. At the end of the IV century. BC. Scythians appeared so-called. "Assault" spears, the length of which was 2.5-3.1 m. 1 - Kapulovka І 2 - Kapulovka І 3 - Kapulovka ІІ

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During the battle, Scythian warriors also used darts - short spears with metal rally. In steppe Scythian burials, the iron is often found, with a long sleeve and a small pierced head. The darts were used mainly by horse warriors as a throwing weapon. The railway tips of the darts had a short canty pen on the end of the rod, which is a continuation of the sleeve. The lower end of the dart was brought by iron, and its length was usually equal to the length of the spear. Copy and darts. Iron. Іv in. BC. Finding the tips of Scythian copies and darts in the territory of Nikopolsky district (as of the beginning of 2012)

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The rush among the swollen weapons of the Scythians was often used the rush consisting of a small bag and two straps attached to it. By promoting the right and releasing one of the straps, the warrior sent a stone into a target at high speed, and in the presence of certain skills - with great accuracy. Scythian warrior with prash.

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Helmet of considerable development has reached the Scythians and protective vesion. The battle was widely used on a leather-based made of small metal scraps panels, shells, combat belts, helmets and ledges (kamiding). Metal helmets were known to Scyths already in VII B BC. In the VII-VI centuries. Massive cast Cuban helmets were distributed (at the place of most finds) or Rainlyki-type. They rather accurately passed the shape of the head, had a peckerid shape, a small cutout, bordered by arcs-rollers converging to the nose, as well as holes intended for fastening the nascheners. Scythian helmet. IV century BC.

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Scythian helmet. Vi in. BC. Notable Scythian Warriors in Greek Helmets. IV century BC.

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From the middle of the IV century BC. We used, along with Greek, and local helmets with a metal set. They were made by the same type as shelter. Scythian set-up helmets consisted of a leather base of the bump type, on which iron plates were surface. The nashets and the barmits were mounted either separately or made a single whole with a helmet. Scythian warriors in helmets with a metal set. IV century BC.

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Late Scythians of the Crimea and the Lower Dnepria along with helmets with a metal set used cast helmets of the bell-shaped form. Helmets of the late Scythians of the Crimea and the Lower Dnepria.

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A combat belt belt with a metal set was invented by Scythians. In the ancient literature, they are first mentioned in the VII century. BC. Set of belt. A group of terrible grave. Nikopolsky district

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Pancar Scythians used scaly shells. The flakes of rectangular shape with a straight top and rounded bottom were laid on the leather basis - a shirt with short sleeves. The chest was protected by plates of sufficiently large sizes (epishetus), shoulders - larger dimensions (tear). Armor of Scythian warriors. Reconstruction of Gorelika M.V.

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Scythian armor shelter sleeves. Reconstruction of Gorelika M.V. Rock shell fragments. Nikopolsky district

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Pacitary plates (1-3) and wardkeeping (4) from the seven-purges of Kurgan. Kuban, Russia Parts of Protective Weapons from Seven Kurgan

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Shield in VI-IV centuries. BC. Scythian shields had an oval, rectangular and almost square shape. On the crest from the Kurgan Solok there are images of three different types of Scythian shields. They were used to protect the warrior in the near battle, and from enemy arrows. Often the shield was the only protective armament of simple Scythian warriors. Notable Scythian warriors and royal warriors with shields of different shapes. IV century BC.

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The armament of the Scythian warriors of this era is perfectly reconstructed on the burials in Kelermes, the Ulsk and Kostroma Kurgans located in the Kuban. Rich burials in Kelermes of Kurgan researchers often associate with the beginning in the middle of the VII century. BC e. The outcome of the older generation of Scythians from the overseas region. The monuments found in these burials make it possible to recreate a set of armament of the notable Scythian warrior of the era of the front -hasional campaigns.

The offensive armament of the Scythian rider who has established at this time has not undergone significant changes to the famous Scythian-Persian war at the end of the VI century. BC e. The natural affiliation of each Scythian is the onion famous in antiquity. Scythian bow had the shape of a complex sigma-like arc with curved shoulders curved. This form is largely similar to the modern sports bow, but for antiquity it was quite unusual. It should be noted the small dimensions of the Scythian bows, the length of which was about 60 cm. However, some bows could be up to 1 m long. The form of Scythian Luke says that it was composite, that is, it was made from several wooden parts that glued together and Could be wrapped in bark.

Bow and arrows Scythians were placed in a case, which was called burning and was a characteristic feature of Scythian weapons. It differs from the quiver by the fact that it is intended primarily for storing a bow with a stretched guide. The arrows were placed in another compartment located on the outer surface of the case. The mountains were made of wood, sometimes reinforced with iron rods, and covered with skin. Unfortunately, we have no information about the existence of burns and their form in the early period of Scythian history, except for images on stone sculptures that allow it to determine it only approximately. It is possible that quiver were in use at this time. A large quadrangular gold plate depicting a deer found in Keermen mounds is considered to be an ornament. Recently, the lining on the burns include massive gold figures panthers and deer, which previously considered the decorations of the shields. In addition, metal and bone fasteners were found in the early monuments, which served for the closure of the quiver valve.

The Scythian quiver set was part of 50 ~ 60 to 200 or more arrows. For the early period of the Scythian history, predominantly double-bladed tips made of bronze, the shape of the pen laurel or even rhombid, sometimes the spike is sometimes located for extracting. The tips of a small size, the arrow graft inserted into the sleeve. Three-blade and triangular tips, as well as the use of iron and bones for their manufacture of iron and bones, is relatively rare, although in separate regions it is possible to note the predominance of such forms. The arrows were made not only from the tree, but also from the cane, or were made up of these two materials.

The main weapon of the melee of the Scythian rider was a spear. Apparently, the length of copies ranged from 1.7-2.2m. Copy tips for rare exceptions were made from iron. The relatively thin tips of the laurel form with a sleeve passing into the edge, going up to the tip, or with a unredened edge. The length of the tips varies within 30-50 cm. At the base of the bushings, it was sometimes made thickening in the form of a rings to impart tip fastening.

The short sword is Akinak - always was an indispensable attribute of the Scythian rider, serving not only offensive weapons, but also a peculiar confirmation of the status of a warrior man. No wonder he is mentioned by Herodota as one of the central objects of the Scythian religious cult. It is impossible to spend a clear boundary between Scythian daggers and swords, since their form is absolutely identical. It is curious that at the early time the sword and the dagger are simultaneously found only in the richest tombs, the warriors have become victory for only one Akinak. It is believed that the length of the daggers oscillated in the range of 17 ~ 40 cm, and swords - 50-70 cm, although individual copies reached more significant sizes. Almost all Scythian swords are made of iron, in rare cases from bronze made handle or only imposed. In the early period, Akinaki with a blade, which had blades in parallel to each other. There was a crossroads on the blade, which could be varied with a variety of shape, and on top of the hand, imagined. Early swords had the so-called "bar-shaped" (rectangular) impoverished and crosswise the "scoring" or "butterfly" form. Both of these types of crossroads remind the inverted figure of the "heart", only the "scoring" sharp part is rounded, and in the "butterfly", if it is not completely "heart-shaped", adjacent to the acute part of the side are concave (like a sword presented for the reconstruction). In addition, there were so-called "antenna" (that is, bent up) imparting.

Akinaki rushed in covered with leather or cloth wooden sheaths. The lower part had a thickening for which the Persians tied a cord while holding the sheath in a vertical position. In the upper part of the sheath, there was a protrusion for attaching them to the belt, sometimes the shape of the lower edge of the crossing was attached to the mouth of the sheath, and in some cases it was taken out in the sheath. Scythians wore swords on the right side, so that their lower part go to the left, they were shifted on the horse through the saddle. Probably the lack of need to tie the lower part led to the appearance of a sheath without thickening at the end. In the richest burials, the sheath was laid out with golden plates. The most notable are the sheaths from Kelermes and Melgunovsky Kurgans, which resemble the overall samples. On these sheaths depicts fantastic creatures, some of them are held in the hands of stretched bows, and in the upper part, a tree is depicted with figures of the winged geniuses around. Judging by the size, at the early time, Akinak served mainly for stitching strikes. However, for early time, there is a certain number of long swords without undertaking, which apparently applied to cut from the horse. By the end of the period, this type of swords disappears.

A rare type of armament of Scythians are axes and cloves. They were worn, like swords, on the right side. Axes and cloves were made predominantly from iron, although for an early time, bronze and bimetallic (from bronze and iron) were fixed. Scythian combat axes were lean and had a diverse shape, usually expanding to the working part and sloping down. Unique is the ax from kelermen mounds, whose blade and volatile symmetrically expanded from the lean part. The handle, the mist and the peasant part of the ax are covered with gold plates with anterior-style patterns.

Source - compilation from various materials (CHBR. Hardware "Riders of War" The author of which I do not know)

According to the ancient Greek historian Herodoto, the most significant achievement of Scythians was that "none of those who invited them could not escape the flight" and could not capture them. According to him, the Scythians do not base cities or fortifications, but being equestrian arrows carry their homes with them. Introduction they did not produce agriculture, but by breeding livestock. "How not to be invincible and inaccessible to attack," the historian writes. A bright confirmation of his words was the unsuccessful campaign of a huge Persian army, headed by the king by Giving I on Scythia in 512 BC. Instead of fortified cities, nomads had a well-armed, disciplined army, which, from about the 6th century BC, was considered one of the most powerful forces operating in the territory of the front Asia, the Caucasus and the Northern Black Sea region. At the same time, research on their movements is based mainly on archaeological finds of Scythian swords - Akinakov.

Historians celebrate that the sword, being a melee weapon, "never played a paramount role in arms of Scythian warriors." The nomads were primarily famous for the fact that they were excellent equestrian arrows from Luke. In general, Akinak among the armament of nomads occupied only the third place, of course, after Luke with arrows and spears.

Sword, being a melee weapon, did not play a paramount role

The sword was more inalienable part of the so-called military aristocracy, but ordinary warriors did not always have this weapon in their arsenal. In particular, therefore, as historians suggest, swords are relatively rarely found in the famous Scythian Kurgans, and this is beyond the fact that the burial grounds are often exposed to plundering.

Handle Scythian Sword IV century BC. e.

Akinak, according to historians, is a Persian term who used all the same Herodotus. According to researchers, at the beginning it was for the most part of the dagger, the length of which hesitated between 35 and 45 centimeters. However, afterwards, Akinak became longer: its average length could vary by 40 and 60 cm. In addition, it is noted that in everyday life there could be large samples. However, both short and long blades were characterized by double-edged blades, tapping to the edge in the form of a triangle. Thus, such a sword could be applied cutting and straightening.

Types of Scythian Swords

True, the length of the blade on the classification of Akinaka did not affect. Typology This type of weapon was prepared depending on a certain type of crosshair and screwed handles. For example, for between VII and V centuries, the various versions of rectangular or rectangles are prevailed to the new era.

Akinak was an integral part of the military aristocracy

Subsequently, zoomorphic decorations must appear in the design of the handle, for example, in the form of birds or horses. Crosshair also had different types. Particularly widespread swords with oval (wardrid), as well as butterfly forms. Left-shaped crosshair or rectangular forms were less popular. By the way, in the manufacture of the blade, as the researchers say, a metal with different content of carbon was used, which was plastic and flexible blade.

Akinak with tip sheltered

But about the sheath akinak is known a little. They were made from the tree, which is why they are almost preserved. The exception was the end of the sheath, which were often manufactured from metal or bone. Very often they also depicted animals. The sheath of the leaders and in general, noble warriors could be decorated with gold. Speaking about the shape of a sword and sheath, repeating his form, researchers often note his cult role.

Akinak, according to historians, could relate to a phallic symbol

For example, scientists assumed that the Scythians corrected the sword with the "world tree", which as it were to emphasize in his decor. In addition, the honesty and heart shapes of the crosshairs are as well as the shape of the sword in the Scythian representation could relate to the phallic symbol. As a confirmation of this theory, historians pay attention to the relevant images of the male organ on the sculptures. At the same time, in addition to the Scythians, Akinak was used in India and in Persia. For example, in the fifth century BC, this sword was arsenal at the sedentary peoples of the Middle and Middle East, they fought with such blades and in Central Asia.

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The history of an ancient cold weapons is a Scythian sword.

The most outstanding period of the history of the ancient blade weapons is the story of the swords of Scythians: horse warriors and nomads who lived in the territory of the modern south of Russia and Ukraine in the VII-IV centuries BC Until now, scientists argue about the emergence of Scythians. In the fourth part of his "history", "Mellengement", 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 have been formed as a result of the internal development of the peoples of the Northern Black Sea and the Precaucasia, during the transition to the Iron Age. At that time, iron becomes the main material for the production of weapons and instruments of labor, horse riding skills are improved, horse harness. The Scythian era appears leaders and rich warriors - the warriors, whose remains of archaeologists find in the steppe mounds. Military hiking and robbery make the lifestyle of Druzhin-Aristocrats Friends. The article will make a story about the Scythian sword, which was a faithful companion of Scythian leaders and rich warriors.

When and how the Scythian sword appeared

Regarding the origin of the actual shape of the Scythian short sword (many call him, like the Persian sword, Akinak) there are three versions. The first assumes that the shape of the Scythian sword was borrowed by Scyths in ancient Iran from Persians and Middians. Supporters of the second version believe that he originated from the Bronze Daggers of the Siberian "Karasuk culture." The third version that the author of these lines adheres is that the prototypes of Scythian swords are bimetallic swords and the daggers of the so-called "Kabardino-Pyatigorsky" type, common in VIII - the first half of the VII century BC. In the North Caucasus. These daggers had different types of handles - solidized with "mushroomlike" and "framework". Obviously, swords with a frame handle ultimately won in a competitive struggle. In addition, the Caucasus is also known bimetallic swords of Scythian appearance with a bronze frame handle. They have a "classic" shape of the archaic Scythian sword - "Butterfly" crossbow and rectangular screwed. Interestingly, many classic Scythian swords of the VII-VI centuries. BC, who were bought entirely from the iron, had a groove on the handle, which was displayed on a special mandrel. This groove is "rudiment" of the bimetallic origin of the Scythian sword, imitating the bronze frame handle. Thus, we can assume that the shape of the Scythian sword was formed in the North Caucasus in the first half of the VII B BC.

Akinak Scythian Skif

First of all, this sword was short and was intended for hiking melee as a cutting-necking weapon. Scythian sword sizes range from 25 to 60 cm, but on average its length together with a handle 35-45 cm. Considering that 12-15 cm accounted for handle with imagine and crossbow, the length of the blade was 25-30 cm. In the famous Kelermes sword (one of the longest early Scythian Swords) The length of the parade gold sheath was 47 cm, respectively, a slightly smaller length was blade. In the same Kurgan was found and a small dagger with a handle, covered with a golden leaf. Therefore, we can assume a different function of short and long swords.

Sword in the scabs from Kurgan at the village of Kelermen. The second half of the VII century. BC.

Sword and scabbard from Kurgan "Fat grave", IV century. BC.

The blade was two-season and had a shape in the form of a strongly elongated triangle, or the blades of the blade were parallel, sharply narrowing in his last one. There are also one-ole-free Scythian swords, but they are single. The blade cross section could be a lensid or rhombic, i.e. The blacksmith was specifically displayed the ringer. Metallographic studies of clints of Scythian swords from the steppe and forest-steppe zone and the Caucasus (Tsley Mogin) showed that cementation (deliberate carburization) of both billets and finished products was already used to improve working qualities. Sometimes "Package" was used when iron strips with different carbon content were used for the blade workpiece. A more carbonated metal was walking to remove the working part. The blades of such swords are more plastic and bending, and with a focused selection of metal layers with various composition, you can achieve even greater advantages over the products discharged from homogeneous metal. Actually, the appearance of this technological reception was the first step in the blacksmith craft to the welded dam.

The blade, together with the handle, was trampled from the strip blank, then for blacksmithing welding to it on both sides, separately discharged and screwed separately. The earliest crosshair, as we have already written above, had a "butterfly" or "honest" form. They are characteristic of swords of the VII-V centuries BC. In IV century BC. "Butterfly" form is transformed into triangular. This is the most popular shape of the crosshair of late Scythian Swords. Early impedances have a bar-shaped form, sometimes the front contour of it is close to Oval. We were also trained separately, a hole broke through a hole in which the end of the handle was inserted, then imagined with the handle got drooped. Some early "bar-shaped" impoverished the end-to-end hole in the front, where, obviously, the lace was made, like a darkness. Sometimes this hole was done at the top of the handle. Somewhat later, in the VI century. BC, there are imparted, in which the edges of the rod twisted in the form of wolves. Another modification of this form was not voluble, but the heads of predatory birds. Thus, the sword was performed in the "animal style" characteristic of the Scythian era. And finally, another kind of this form - the ends of the rod, planted on the handle, decorated in the form of a wretched or heads of predatory birds, are closed, and imaginary acquires a rounded circuit. At the reliefs of Persepolskaya Apadan, the image of Akinaks with a bar-shaped impart and "butterfly" crosshair is repeated. These Akinakas are armed by the Midi Guard King Darius I, as well as many delegations of Danikov. Only once here is the image of Akinak with the "horned" impressive, resembling zoomorphic screws of Scythian swords. He is borne by Daria a member of the delegation of warriors dressed in bumps and having sipped to the belt burns (special covers where onions and arrows were placed). Obviously, these were representatives of Skifo-Sakian tribes.

The oldest front swords of Kelermes and Melgunovsky Kurganov

Skif's swords and daggers were worn in wooden sheaths. Unfortunately, the tree persists very badly, and the shape of the "ordinary" skip sword is difficult to judge.

The endings of these sheath are better preserved, the so-called sandings that were made of metal or bone. They had a semi-shape. The earliest of them were decorated in the "animal style". Most often, they were depicted "rolled predator". Much more we know about the sheath of the richest Scythian swords belonging to the leaders, since these sheath had golden linings.

The most early of them belongs to the famous sword from Kelermes of Kurgan and a very close to him Melgunovsky sword. Golden linings also had iron details of the handles of these swords (screwed, handle and crossbar herself), and the sheath. Vfed and handle were decorated with floral and geometric ornament. At the crosshairs, two "geniuses" standing at the Sacred "Tree of Life" are depicted. The same composition is repeated on the mouth of the sheath. On the sheath itself, the master depicted a march of fantastic animals - Griffins. The end of the scabble - the booleol - decorated with two opposing grinding lions. The sheaths have protruding blades with a hole. On these blades depicts a classic Scythian "flying" deer. Interestingly, such blades are also on the sheath of Persian Akinakov.

The motive of standing geniuses from the sacred tree is characteristic of urtin bronze belts, while the deer, depicted on the blades of the sheath, is purely Scythian. Scientists believe that the sheath of both swords were made in the workshops of the Urart captured during the Scythian campaigns by the masters.

How to wear Scythian swords

According to the reliefs of Persepolskaya Apadan, we know that the sword was worn on the right side, tieting the sheath for the leg to the leg. This wearing method was characteristic of the archaic Scythian swords. But the sneezing of the sword is not excluded on the belt to the left of the buckle (handle under the right hand). Such a method is tracked on the oldest image of the Scythian sword in the sheath with a blade on the sculpture, dating from the VII century BC, found from with. Nizhny Kurburg in Kabardino-Balkaria.

Kelermes of Kelermes

Most recently, it was possible to establish the appointment until now the incomprehensible cross-called item called "key". This "key" turned out to be a "spoil block", which serves to hang the scabbard to the belt. Most of the later Scythian scattering of the VI-V century BC. Demonstrates us the wearing "Akinak" in front, just as Caucasians are now carrying their daggers.

Late swords of Scythian kings

The latest swords are the main Scythian swords found in the huge steppe "royal cougars" of the second half of the IV century BC. As a rule, they have a rigorous or oval pinch and triangular crosshairs. The blades of swords in the upper part have cutouts. These cuts are a characteristic detail of the late Scythian swords. The relief of the most massive part of the blade was caused by the desire to bring the center of gravity of the sword to the point of impact, which indicates a high professionalism of Scythian gunsmiths. Most recently, a sword Akinak was shown at the Golden Deer exhibition in the Hermitage from Kurgan from the village of Filippovka of the Orenburg region (IV century BC). The central part of the blade of the sword is an openwork, where curious slots alternate and stamped heads of predatory birds, gold plated. How it could be done in such an early time - a mystery.

Sword from Kurgan Chertomyl. Handle of Persian Akinaka of the end of the VI - the beginning of the V centuries. BC, Blade - IV century. BC.

From the swords originating from the steppe "royal kurgans", only the sword from the Kurchank Kurgan was analyzed metallographically. Oddly enough, it was rebuilt from simple curvature gland, some technological techniques that improve its working quality (cementation, hardening, vacation), were not applied to it. Such blades were cauldered by the Scythians in the lower reaches of the Dnieper on the Kamensky settlement (now Kamenka Dniprovskaya Zaporizhia region). At the same time, all technological forge innovations were used to the forge in the Bosporian cities and at the periphery of the steppe Scythian (in the modern forest-steppe zone of Ukraine and in the North Caucasus). It is possible that the blades are specially condensed for the burial, so the "combat qualities" of the blade was not so important. ATTENTION, first of all, was given to the decoration of this weapon.

As a rule, gold overhead plates for decorating scabbard in IV century. BC. Greek jewelers did. They often portrayed favorite Scythians scene of Tarzing deer predators and fantastic creatures - griffins. They were made by their technique for the depicting (by improving and wiping) a gold sheet on a bronze matrix. Interesting the fact that with the same matrices were made to the sheath from different mounds. The blades of the front scabble of late Scythian swords are small, have an almost triangular shape. As in the early parade sheaths, they portrayed some animal, a fantastic creature or a whole scene. On the blades of the scabbard of the sword from the "Tolstoy grave" is a griffin with a body of a lion, wings and a horn, and on the front sheath of the throat - a poultry griffin, tormenting the head of the deer.

Of great interest is the sword with the handle of the Persian Akinka of the end of the VI - the beginning of the V centuries BC. and openwork Scythian clinics of the IV century BC This finding testifies to the unsuccessful campaign of the Persian Tsar Daria I in Scythian lands in 512 BC, which herodot wrote. This trophy sword was transferred to almost 150 years old from generation to generation of Scythian kings, while in the second half of the 4th century BC. A new blade was not attached to him. After that, he fell into a set of weapons, accompanied the richest and notable leader, buried under the mound of Kurgan Daughty.

Worship of a sword

Another important aspects of the role of the sword in the life of Scythians is his indispensable participation in Scythian rituals. The sword was used in the Scythians in rituals, fastening the contract or an oath, was also a symbol of the most revered God - the god of the war of Ares. "Father History" describes in detail the ritual of bloody sacrifice to this deity. In antiquity, the sword was given a special role - the guardian of military force, the attribute of the power of the king, and, apparently, that is why the steppe Scythians (in Herodot - "Tsarist Scythians") we find swords only in the graves of the kings and the most significant warriors. P.S. Actually, the Scythians archeologists have not yet been able to trace the remnants of Ares temples. But in the North-West Caucasus, in the lands of the southern neighbors of Scythians - Meta, found Kurgan-sanctuary IV century. BC, fully corresponding to the description of Herodota. Here were found wooden tent construction (Wed "Pile of Twigs") and the remains of the sacrifices of animals and people. Even human skeletons with severed hands were found. And in the center of all this construction was a sword. True, not Scythian, but Meotsky. But this is a completely different story.

Cold weapons exists with almost the moment the first people appeared on earth. Every year, development becomes more perfect and practical. To date, it is possible to designate cold weapons with a long history and completely modern samples. Today we will try to disassemble one of the ancient blades - "Akinak", which was in service with the Scythians.

"Akinak" is a long dagger or a short sword with a crosshair. Such blade used, as a rule, for stitching and for chopping strikes. The weapon was used in the near battle by hiking warriors.

Along with all its combat qualities, Akinak is an integral part of the culture of ancient Scythians. Thanks to the found swords from archaeologists, it turned out to track the tracks of the Scythian resettlement routes.

"Akinak" originates from the North Caucasus and appeared in the seventh century BC, later the blade was distributed among the inhabitants of the steppes. Such a sword was not only a weapon, but also pointed to the status of someone who wore him. On the blade, it was possible to identify military aristocrats, and determine what class belonged to a person.

In addition to the Scythian tribes, the Klinka "Akinaki" were popular with the inhabitants of India, "Argipeiev", Sakov, Massagetti and Persians. So in the fifth century BC, such blades were walked among the sedentary peoples of the Middle and Middle East, and later their images began to find the subjects with a direct connection with the "Ahemedin" power.

A very long time the "Akinaki" blades were used on the territory of Central Asia. The blade had a triangular shape with narrow dollars and sharply converging blades towards the tip (which is very characteristic of West Iranian swords).

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

The length of the weapon ranged from thirty-five to forty of five centimeters, and the blade was only twenty or thirty centimeters. But copies came across even exceeding fifty centimeters in length, although there were not many such finds. Often, the daggers had a double-sided sharpening and less often (it is possible to say extremely rarely) one-sided.

The blades made a diamond or lenside cross section with a rigidity. For Akinaka, the cringe of the honesty and heart-shaped type is typical, and from the fourth century, this section has acquired a triangular shape.

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

Starting from the fifth century - "screwed" began to make animals and birds in the form of heads. At the expense of the sheath for Akinakov, there is almost nothing to say, only what they was made from the tree and therefore practically not survived to our time. In the best condition, the end of the sheath lived to us, as they were made of bone and metal.

Often they were depicted on them, and the lining on the sheath of the leaders and other significant individuals were made of gold. It is worth noting that the gold of the Scythians since a long time attracted treasures. There are cases of detection of huge Scythian treasures with thousands of items from precious metal. However, today the hunt for the treasures of the ancient nomads does not stop.