 | British archaeologist Sir Barry Cunliffe explores ancient Eurasian steppe cultures in The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the Steppe. The Scythians were one of many nomadic, horse-based tribes roaming the Eurasian steppe from the ninth to second centuries BCE. They shared a common pastoral lifestyle, wore similar colorful clothing, and created vibrant animalistic art. Nomadic culture was reinforced by extensive trade routes. A Mongol dispatch rider in the thirteenth century could, changing horses as necessary, ride from Karakorum in the Mongolian steppe to Hungary (a distance of ~4,600 miles) in less than a month. |
Scythians living on the Pontic Steppe (present-day Ukraine) came into regular contact with Greek traders and are thus the most documented tribe in ancient histories. Scythians and related tribes also occupied Transylvania and the Great Hungarian Plain up to the Alps, where they interacted with the Continental Celts. In northern Mesopotamia, Scythians were part of the coalition that sacked the Assyrian city of Nineveh in 612 BCE. The the fall of Nineveh features in my novel, Sky God’s Warrior.
 | In the summers, nomads scattered across the endless grasslands; winters were spent in the relative shelter of river valleys. They tended their herds on horseback and families moved camp in felt-covered wagons drawn by horses or oxen. Some herded horses exclusively, other tribes also herded cattle and sheep, but these animals were less well suited to survive the harsh extremes of the steppe, where summers reached 113 F and winters plummeted to -49 F. |
The nomads managed the herds of both cattle and horses by controlling the lead cow or mare, as both animals are matriarchal. I exploited this fact in the opening of Sky God’s Warrior, when Ayda turns a stampeding herd by capturing the fiery lead mare.
 | The Scythians used cannabis smoke ritually, and were said to “bathe” by applying a paste of resins and aromatic oils, then scraping it off, leaving their skin “clear and glossy." They also added horsehair and felt to stylize their hair into rigid plaits, using fancy combs to hold their hairstyles in place. Gender was a fluid concept among the Scthyians. At least one in five warriors were genetic females; Greek historians described transgender individuals living as women and gender-neutral shamans. |
 | Musical instruments included bone flutes, ox-horn drums, and wooden harps. They made simple wooden tables, easily disassembled, and probably sat on ornate rugs or cushions stuffed with horsehair. Their horse tack was covered with elaborate golden ornaments and the scalps of enemies. Similarly, they carried swords in decorative scabbards and used gilded cases for their bows and arrows, called gorytos by the Greeks (sadaq is the reconstructed term I use in Sky God’s Warrior). |
 | Scythian battle tactics are best documented during the Persian invasion of the Pontic Steppe (north of the Black Sea). The Scythians “retreated” before the Persian army, drawing them deeper and deeper into the steppe, and stretching their supply lines. The Scythians then made lightning raids on the Persian camp when the troops were eating, withdrawing before the infantry could assemble. They also made devastating night raids. In the end, the Persians withdrew, leaving the steppe unconquered. |
Greek historians document a pantheon of seven Scythian deities, but note there were no temples or statues of these gods. The fire goddess Tabiti was the preeminent deity. She was the guardian of oaths. War was personified as a sword, upon which blood sacrifices were made. Other documented gods were: sky father, earth mother, a sun god, a fertility goddess, and a horse-taming god.
 | Because these Scythian animistic gods were filtered through the Greek historians who wrote about them, their genders may have been fluid or nonexistent to the Scythians. The vibrant animal art gracing all aspects of Scythian culture lend support for an animist worldview. |
Most archaeological evidence of the Scythians comes from excavated kurgans, giant burial mounds. Within these kurgans, elites were buried with everything they needed in the next life: food, clothing, horses. Sometimes retainers were buried with them. Although some modern scholars assume these people were sacrificed, it is possible some loyally followed their beloved leader into death. It’s impossible to understand this ancient culture with modern sensibility.
The book has some weaknesses. The author makes cultural assumptions not supported by the archeology, painting a picture of a male-dominated world of vicious warlords. I found this “warlord” model implausible given the Scythian reliance on trade networks well documented by other historians. The author’s domineering warlord could have been a beneficent protector. Setting aside this bias, The Scythians is full of lustrous illustrations and maps that help bring the world of the ancient Scythians to life.
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