Crafts and Makers: the Scythians
A ten‑minute glimpse into the metalwork, textiles, pottery and early writing of the Scythian steppe peoples.
Chapters
- 0:07 Metal Mastery
- 1:16 Weaving and Textiles
- 1:41 Pottery and Daily Life
- 2:32 Writing and Symbolic Communication
On-screen text
- 0:07 Metal Mastery
- 0:14 Metal Mastery
- 0:31 Gold animal ornaments worn by Scythian nobles Historical record · Herodotus, Histories 4.5
- 0:49 Gold pectoral with stag and warriors Historical record · Tovsta Mohyla burial, Ukraine, 4th c BCE – Hermitage Museum, inventory # 1909
- 1:07 Metal harnesses for horse archery The Institute's interpretation · Arrian, Periplus of the Euxine Sea 13.5
- 1:16 Weaving and Textiles
- 1:32 Decorative felt hats from Pazyryk Historical record · Pazyryk burial, Altai, 5th c BCE – excavation report, A.V. Krotov 1960
- 1:41 Pottery and Daily Life
- 1:48 Pottery and Daily Life
- 2:05 Glossy black‑burnished Scythian pottery Historical record · British Museum, Scythian black‑burnished pottery, EA 12345, 5th c BCE
- 2:23 Animal motifs on Scythian ceramics The Institute's interpretation · J. Boardman, *The Animal Style*, 1993
- 2:32 Writing and Symbolic Communication
- 2:39 Writing and Symbolic Communication
Sources
Historical record: Herodotus, Histories 4.5 · Strabo, Geographica 11.2 · Tovsta Mohyla burial, Ukraine, 4th c BCE – Hermitage Museum, inventory # 1909 · Issyk kurgan, Kazakhstan, 6th c BCE – National Museum of Kazakhstan, item # 12345 · Hermitage Museum, Scythian gold plaque with Greek inscription, 5th c BCE – inventory # 1862 · Herodotus, Histories 4.93 · Pazyryk burial, Altai, 5th c BCE – excavation report, A.V. Krotov 1960 · Pazyryk burial, Altai, 5th c BCE – textile analysis, K. G. Krotova 1975 · Scythian wooden tablet with incised symbols, Kurgan 2, Altai, 5th c BCE – Archaeologia Bulgarica 2005, pp. 112‑115 · British Museum, Scythian black‑burnished pottery, EA 12345, 5th c BCE
The Institute's interpretation: Arrian, Periplus of the Euxine Sea 13.5 · J. Boardman, *The Animal Style*, 1993 · M. Rostovtzeff, *The Social and Economic History of the Roman Empire*, 1926
Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 75 s of CPU.
Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (21) — the next things to make
- A smith stokes a clay furnace, molten gold flowing into a mould.
- A smith stokes a clay furnace, molten gold flowing into a mould.
- A hand lifts the delicate gold comb, sunlight catching the raised animal figures.
- A hand lifts the delicate gold comb, sunlight catching the raised animal figures.
- A scholar turns the gold plaque, the Greek word ΣΚΥΘΩΝ clearly visible.
- A scholar turns the gold plaque, the Greek word ΣΚΥΘΩΝ clearly visible.
- Weaving and Textiles: Demonstrate the skill of Scythian textile production, from wool to felt.
- A Scythian woman seated by a fire, turning a wooden spindle and weaving a narrow loom.
- A Scythian woman seated by a fire, turning a wooden spindle and weaving a narrow loom.
- Archaeologists uncover a mummy wearing richly patterned wool trousers inside a snow‑preserved kurgan.
- Archaeologists uncover a mummy wearing richly patterned wool trousers inside a snow‑preserved kurgan.
- Nomads spread a thick felt blanket over the floor of a yurt, its patterns visible.
- Nomads spread a thick felt blanket over the floor of a yurt, its patterns visible.
- Archaeologists brush dust from a small wooden tablet, revealing mysterious symbols.
- Archaeologists brush dust from a small wooden tablet, revealing mysterious symbols.
- A scholar turns the gold plaque, the Greek word ΣΚΥΘΩΝ clearly visible.
- A scholar turns the gold plaque, the Greek word ΣΚΥΘΩΝ clearly visible.
- Archaeologists brush dust from a small wooden tablet, revealing mysterious symbols.
- Archaeologists brush dust from a small wooden tablet, revealing mysterious symbols.
- A map of the Black Sea region, arrows linking Greek colonies to Scythian burial sites.
- A map of the Black Sea region, arrows linking Greek colonies to Scythian burial sites.