Fierce and dashing warriors, ruthless to enemies, skilled archers and riders - this is the image of the Scythians, which was created by ancient authors, including Herodotus (484-425 BC).
But one can hardly fully trust the writings of the Greeks, because the Scythians were a hostile people for them. It was they who for a long time put up fierce resistance to the spread of the power of the Hellenes to the east. And although the Scythians did not leave behind monuments of ancient writing and architecture, their contribution to the culture of mankind is unique in its own way. So what did the representatives of this people teach the neighboring tribes?
A nation of craftsmen and jewelers
According to the official version, the Scythians moved to Europe from Asia. In the VIII century BC. e. they migrated from the Altai foothills to the Northern Black Sea region. And until the IV century AD, representatives of this Indo-European people lived in the south of Russia and Ukraine, either expanding the boundaries of their possessions, then retreating under the onslaught of the enemy into the Don steppes.
The culture of the Scythians can be judged by their numerous burials. Archaeologists have found a large number of burial mounds (Kul-Oba, Chertomlyk, Tolstaya Mogila, Solokha, Kelermes, etc.), in which people were buried along with jewelry, weapons, military armor, and household items. Who has not heard about the famous Scythian gold? Massive jewelry made of precious metal found in burial places amazes the skill of ancient jewelers.
But not only gold was of interest to these people. The weapons of the Scythians - swords, bows and arrows with bronze tips - indicate that this people was one of the first in the history of mankind to master the technique of making objects from metal: iron, bronze, silver. It was from the Scythians that neighboring tribes adopted this invaluable experience.
The contribution of the Scythians to world culture is not limited to elaborate jewelry and sharp blades. Their craftsmen, who possessed a rare artistic talent, decorated household utensils and amulets, scabbards, sword handles and quivers for arrows with a bizarre ornament consisting of a series of animals (mainly deer, goats, horses, birds of prey and fantastic animals) depicted in motion. For example, you can often see an eagle gnawing at its prey, or two deer clashed in a duel. This is how a special style of art was formed, distinguished by the theme of the animal world, liveliness, bright character and dynamics.
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When decorating metal products, ancient craftsmen used the techniques of casting, chasing, embossing, forging and carving. It is known that from the 5th century BC, the Greeks began to partially adopt the Scythian style of artistic depiction of animals. Along with dishes and household items, ceramic figurines of animals are also found in Scythian burials, which had ritual significance and could play the role of amulets. So the neighboring tribes could well have adopted from the Scythians the technology of burning and painting clay products.
Leather pants - new from the Scythians
But not only pottery, weaponry and jewelry were developed among the Scythians. Since ancient times, this people knew how to process animal skins. Sewing various leather clothes was a useful skill, because cold winds often blow in the steppe expanses, from which you need to protect yourself.
According to most historians, it was the Scythians who first invented and began to wear pants, they were long and leather. The reason that prompted them to this innovation was a predominantly nomadic lifestyle. When you spend most of the day on horseback, pants are a must. Following the Scythians, the Sarmatians, Celts, Germans, and then the Gauls began to wear pants. The civilized Romans first saw this piece of clothing during clashes with Germanic tribes. At first, representatives of ancient culture looked down on such a "barbaric" invention. In 397, the Roman emperors Honorius and Arcadius officially banned the wearing of this garment. For violation of the highest decree, the fashionistas of that time risked losing property, and they even faced exile. But the interests of the Roman army, which almost all fought on horseback,and common sense gradually prevailed over conservative views, the comfort and practicality of the pants were appreciated.
They tamed the horses
And yet, despite all the above services, most historians consider the domestication of horses to be the most significant contribution of the Scythians to the development of our civilization. It happened about 5 thousand years ago, when this people lived in Altai and Central Asia.
In general, horses have always been more than just animals for the Scythians. They were treated as fighting comrades-in-arms, horses were an integral part of the life of the ancient nomads. The Scythians were reputed to be such excellent riders and so felt the horses, literally merging with them into one whole, that their skill and grace gave rise, according to some researchers, to the myths about centaurs (half-humans-half horses) among the ancient Greeks.
Archaeologists have repeatedly found horse remains in Scythian barrows. So, in 2009, in the north of Kazakhstan, near the village of Botay, scientists discovered the teeth and bones of horses that lived five and a half thousand years ago. These are the most ancient animals of this species, the remains of which have been examined by archaeologists. And since at that time the Scythians lived on this territory, this means that they were the first to tame horses.
According to most scientists, at first, horses were used to transport various goods, like beasts of burden. The first Scythian horses were powerful and heavy, judging by the preserved bones. But after the inhabitants of Central Asia and Altai learned horseback riding, the ancient breeders began to select the most playful, hardy and fast horses. So Scythian horses were bred, the fame of which spread throughout the world.
Often in a military campaign, one nomadic warrior had several horses. Periodically, he changed from one horse to another, which made it possible to increase the speed of movement of the Scythian army.
By the way, the Greeks and Romans, following other peoples, adopted from the Scythians not only horse riding skills, but also the tactics of fighting in chariots drawn by war horses.