Inside the tomb of an Eurasian warrior, 2,400 years old, was found a decorative silver plate with mythical creatures and ancient gods.
On Friday, the Institute of Archaeology of Russian Academy of Sciences (IA RAS) announced a team had found the 14-inch plate — which depicts the Scythian war goddess Artimpasa, as well as a winged god, several griffins, and other fantastical creatures — near the town of Devitsa, outside Ostrogozhsk, western Russia.
This tomb contained the remains of a 40-year-old man who had been buried alongside a number of tools and weapons.
Between 900 BC and 200 BC, the Scythians was a nomadic culture that lived in southern Siberia.
Their influence grew from the Black Sea to China, and then the Middle East.
Their warrior spirit was evident in both their men and female combatants.
Legends say that Scythians also drunk blood from their enemies and participated in sacrifices.
Scroll down to see the video
An ancient decorative plate made of copper from the 4th Century BC was found in an old Scythian burial in Western Russia. The artifact depicts various Scythian deities, including the war goddess Artimpasa, as well as griffins and other mythological creatures
Devitsa, which was originally discovered in 2000 as the Scythian site for a necropolis, was also discovered by IA RAS archaeologists. There were 19 burial mounds.
The majority of the tomb’s treasure had been taken centuries earlier, but the roof on this one had survived the fall, protecting it from grave robbers.
The remains of the warrior were found by the IA RAS team along with a spearhead and harnesses, as well as a spearhead and iron knives. A horse’s rib was also discovered, which is likely to be the remnants of ceremonial food offerings.
Six bronze plates in the form of wolves were also discovered.
They were nomadic warriors that used women warriors to build bonds between tribes. Their skulls were used as drinking cups and they allegedly took part in human sacrifices.
The plate was found in a tomb that is part of a Scythian necropolis near the town of Devitsa, outside Ostrogozhsk, western Russia
The most extraordinary find was found in the northeast corner of the grave. It consisted of a silver square plate that had been attached to a wooden foundation by tiny silver nails.
The plate measures approximately 14 by 3 inches in length and is three inches in width. It depicts an unidentified winged face facing Artimpasa, a Scythian goddess of fertility, warfare and sovereignty.
Her upper body is stripped, and she wears a headdress — likely a crown with thorns — on her head.
One group of nomadic tribes, the Scythians, lived between 900 BC and 200BC in southern Siberia. Their influence extended across Central Asia from China to China, and even the Black Sea.
Artimpasa’s flanks are populated by griffins. These mythological creatures have the body and head of a lion and have the wings and head of an eagle.
Artimpasa was often depicted alongside the beasts in Scythian artwork.
You will find more fantasical figures on the left side, such as an anthropomorphic person with a crown over his head and surrounded by two more Griffins.
Valery Gulyaev was lead archaeologist and said Devitsa was the most recent discovery of an artifact depicting Scythian Gods far removed from Scythian centres.
Also, it is rare to see so many deities on the same item.
A release by IA RAS states that “who these characters are and which plate they decorated is an unknown issue.”
The Scythians were known to be experts at waging war on horseback and were often buried with equestrian equipment
Although the Devitsa site was robbed by both ancient looters as well as more modern agricultural development, archaeologists still found important finds there. In 2019, one mound contained remains of both an older woman and a female warrior.
Archaeologists discovered a 2,500-year-old burial site in Siberia last year. It was believed to be the remains of a Scythian couple.
It is believed that the pair died around their mid-twenties and they were buried alongside a baby, and an older servant.
The female was buried with similar weaponry as her male partner—a battleaxe and a short sword.
This Scythian couple is believed to have died in their 30s and were buried with a baby and an elderly servant woman
It’s rare to find such a thing in a place where women were usually buried without any weapon.
Research suggests that the Scythian culture would have had a sword or battle axe used in combat hand-to–hand and bloody melee.
Two axes were used to bury the man, and two bronze daggers.
Anatoly Vybornov anarchaeologist, said that both men as well as women were involved in hostilities. They believed that violence was a legal and acceptable way of solving their problems.
Historical historians believe that the Amazons of Greek mythology are inspired by Scythian warrior females.
Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian, left detailed information about the Scythians as well as their female warriors.
Hippocrates stated that after marriage, a young woman’s role would be no longer as a fighter.
According to the famous healer, “They don’t leave their virginity until three of their enemies have been killed,” and they also do not marry until the traditional sacred rites have been performed.
The discovery of Siberia’s woman warrior was however an example of how a member of a larger family.
Who WERE THE SCYTHIANS?
One barbaric tribe of horse-riding nomads, called the Scythians, ruled large stretches of Eurasia between around the ninth and first centuries BC.
They were known as brutal warriors and were well-known for being able to fire arrows from horses with devastating accuracy.
Writing in the fifth century BC, Greek historian Herodotus claimed that after battle, the Scythians made cloaks from their victims’ scalps.
To celebrate their victories, it is believed that the fierce warriors used to drink blood from their opponents’ skulls.
From the ninth century BC to the first, Scythians was a group of barbaric horse-riding nomads that ruled a large area of Eurasia. This 1881 painting shows a battle between Scythians and Slavs.
Their leaders did not build cities, and there was no record of any written records. Experts have therefore gleaned little information about them from their well-endowed tombs.
They are usually exceptionally preserved for their age. Siberia’s cold soil can even preserve some corpses’ tattoos.
The Scythians filled these tombs (known as kurgans) with precious gold jewellery, cups decorated with rich colors, weapons, and other items.
Arzhan 2 was discovered in 2000 by archaeologists. It is a burial ground that contained more than 9000 golden objects.