Until now, scientists and ordinary people interested in ancient history are interested in the question: did the mysterious Atlantis exist? And if such a country existed, then where did it disappear without a trace along with its inhabitants? But the existence of another once powerful country - Meotida remains no less a mystery.
During excavations of the ancient city of Tanais, located 30 kilometers from Rostov-on-Don, archaeologists stumbled upon a burial - next to the woman's remains lay not only funerary artifacts and jewelry, but also a sword.
Then archaeologists remembered the ancient Greek epic, which tells about the existence of a warlike tribe on the edge of the oecumene, consisting of women who perfectly wield not only a bow but also a sword. Even the habitat of the Amazons was indicated - the territory between Pontus Euxine and Meotida. But if Pontus Euxine is an understandable landmark (as the Greeks called the Black Sea), then what kind of country is Meotida?
One of the first mentions of Meotid can be found among Phoenician sea travelers of the 7th century BC, however, only as a designation on maps of the area located on the southeastern coast of the Sea of Azov (which, by the way, was then called the Meotian Lake). Modern ethnographers and linguists believe that the territory got its name from the distorted South Asian word "meo" - "fish".
At least, the ancient Greek geographer Strabo, who lived in the 1st century BC, adhered to such an interpretation - "a fishy place". Unfortunately, having left a corresponding mark on the map, he did not write much about the population living in this region.
Therefore, scientists studying the history of Meotida, whose inhabitants did not leave any literary monuments to their descendants, can base their assumptions on the manuscripts of other peoples and archaeological finds. In their opinion, the Meots did not exist as an independent ethnic group.
Tanais. Acropolis - dwellings of the richest stratum of the city
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This nationality included representatives of the Pessians, Moschs, Sinds, Zikhs - a total of more than a dozen tribes, about which very scant information has come down to our days, carved on stone slabs. For example, the authors of an article in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia believe that the bulk of the Meots were the Adygs and the assimilated Iranian-speaking tribes.
This version is supported by the testimony of the ancient historian Pollen: "The Meotian woman Tirgatao married the Greek Gelateus, who became the king of the Sindi who live above the Bosporus." Indeed, the female name is consonant with the Iranian - Tirgutevia.
According to archaeologists, "the study and analysis of the remains reveal the heterogeneity of the population of the Don and Azov regions, which included not only several Caucasoid morphological types, but also, probably, anthropological types with a Mongoloid admixture." But this does not add much clarity to the question of Meotid.
Tanais. Excavation of buildings near the bulk wall facing the sea
Scientists are quite unanimous in describing the appearance of the people of the Meotian tribes: a slightly elongated skull and a significantly protruding nose. Based on indirect data, in particular artifacts found during excavations, the researchers suggested that the Meots were a fairly highly developed civilization. Apparently, the social system was close to military democracy.
Most of the Meots were free members of the tribal organization, they lived in families, but obeyed the military elite. The tribe was headed by a leader. The main occupation of local residents was not only agriculture, but also cattle breeding, since the natural conditions, in particular the warm climate and the abundance of moisture that irrigates the fields, made it possible to breed both small domestic animals and cattle. And the proximity of Lake Meotskoye helped to significantly replenish the diet with sea fish.
Reconstruction of the Meotian dwelling
Most likely, the Meots were animists - numerous clay figures indicate that they had gods in high esteem, personifying the forces of nature. But at the same time, the Meots had not only the masters of specific natural phenomena - rain and thunderstorms, sun, light and fire, forests. They paid tribute to abstract concepts from the field of ethics and morality - there were gods of hospitality, honesty and fidelity to the oath.
In addition, the found amulets indicate that there were also “professional” gods who protected artisans. After all, the Meots were familiar with metallurgy and with the production of ceramics, which were in great demand among neighboring settled and nomadic tribes. And, of course, there was a god of trade, because the ancient state was in the middle of the trade route from the ancient world to the Scythian-Sarmatian world.
Reconstruction of the Meotian dwelling / archae.ru
Meots were intermediaries between merchants. The fact that the Meots made sacrifices to their gods is evidenced by the discovered sanctuaries, laid out of stone, and drawings on ceramic dishes. Apparently, the rituals were celebrated by the priests, who, like the Scythians, having entered a state of trance, prophesied about the future.
Another mystery is that the Meots buried their compatriots in a very strange way. The dead were lowered into the grave almost vertically in a twisted state, and the legs and arms of the deceased were often tied. Earthen mounds were erected over the graves. During their excavations, burial artifacts were found: glass and shell beads, dishes, mirrors, bronze jewelry, spearheads and arrowheads, swords, and ceramics. Scientists suggest that by tying the limbs of the deceased, the relatives freed his soul, which found peace in the afterlife or moved into the body of another person.
But, apparently, only commoners were buried in this way. Important dignitaries were laid at the bottom of a large grave, on a straw mat. On the sides, wooden stakes were driven in, on which the mat was pulled. Together with the deceased, his servants and one of the concubines went on a journey to the next world. Scientists have established the approximate lifespan of meots - men rarely reached the age of 35, women lived 5 years longer.
Apparently, by the 1st century BC, the situation in the Azov region was turbulent. On the territory where the Meots lived, well-fortified settlements began to appear, more like fortresses. Inside, along the adobe walls, there were oval-shaped dwellings and outbuildings.
And burials, once filled with household utensils, ornaments and figurines of gods, now began to be replenished with combat swords. Moreover, weapons were placed not only in the graves of the stronger sex, but also in women's burial mounds. This is how the version was born that it is quite possible that the Meots ethnos had Amazons in its composition, or at least lived with them in good neighborliness.
A plaque with a relief image of a serpentine goddess, Meotian culture
The name of the tribe of female warriors, as you know, has nothing to do with Latin America (on the contrary, the largest river of this continent was named after the Amazons). According to one version, the word "Amazon" comes from the ancient Iranian expression a Masso, which translates as "inviolable for men."
However, to continue the clan, the warriors several times a year invited men from neighboring tribes, quite possibly from the Meots. Born boys were killed, and girls were collectively brought up in “kindergartens”. However, it is believed that male babies were not killed, but given to their biological fathers.
In parallel, another version emerged, expressed by scientists who question the existence of the Amazon tribe in general. In their opinion, weapons were placed in women's burial grounds so that the deceased could pass them on to their previously deceased husbands, who must have worn them out in battles during their new life. But, one way or another, the participation of Meots in hostilities is mentioned only once - in the chronicles of the Scythian war of the 3rd century.
The further existence of Meotida also remained a mystery. If you believe the legends, Atlantis sank to the bottom of the ocean. But the land, on the territory of which the country of the Amazon fathers existed, was not subjected to such a cataclysm. Scientists cautiously suggest that civilization fell under the invasion of the Scythian tribes or, in extreme cases, the population simply and naturally dissolved in them.
Sergey Uranov