Daily Life: The Scythians
A ten‑minute glimpse into how the nomadic Scythians lived, worked, traded and dressed on the Eurasian steppe.
Chapters
On-screen text
- 0:07 Home and Settlement
- 0:23 Food and Work
- 0:30 Food and Work
- 1:14 Gold pectoral, animal style Historical record · Gold pectoral, Pazyryk, 4th c. BCE, British Museum
- 1:23 Family, Clothing, and Adornment
Sources
Historical record: Pazyryk kurgan, Altai, 5th c. BCE, Hermitage Museum · Arzhan 2 burial, 7th c. BCE, State Hermitage · Pazyryk frozen burial, 5th c. BCE, Hermitage Museum · Zooarchaeological analysis, Pazyryk kurgan, 5th c. BCE · Residue analysis of pottery, Scythian sites, 4th c. BCE, British Museum · Carbonized grains, Kurgan 5 site, 6th c. BCE, Kazakhstan · Herodotus, Histories 4.7 · Gold pectoral, Pazyryk, 4th c. BCE, British Museum · Greek amphorae finds at Olbia, 5th–4th c. BCE, Museum of Olbia · Silver coin of King Skilurus, 2nd c. BCE, Hermitage Museum · Textile fragments, Pazyryk, 5th c. BCE, Hermitage Museum · Scythian gold plaques, British Museum
Tradition / scripture: Greek tradition recorded by Herodotus 4.8
The Institute's interpretation: Herodotus, Histories 4.8
Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 56 s of CPU.
Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (28) — the next things to make
- Home and Settlement: Show how Scythians built portable and semi‑permanent dwellings on the steppe.
- A Scythian family spreads a felt tent on the open steppe, raising wooden poles and securing the fabric.
- A Scythian family spreads a felt tent on the open steppe, raising wooden poles and securing the fabric.
- Reconstruction of a wooden house with thatched roof, interior hearth glowing.
- Archaeologists uncover a sealed wooden coffin beneath a mound of snow.
- Archaeologists uncover a sealed wooden coffin beneath a mound of snow.
- Scythian hunters roasting strips of meat over an open fire.
- Scythian hunters roasting strips of meat over an open fire.
- A woman milks a mare and pours the frothy kumis into a wooden cup.
- A woman milks a mare and pours the frothy kumis into a wooden cup.
- Scythian farmers bending over a field of golden millet stalks.
- A herd of sturdy horses grazing; a rider selects a foal for training.
- Artisan hammering thin gold sheets, shaping intricate animal motifs.
- Markets and Trade: Illustrate Scythian exchange networks with Greeks and Hellenistic states.
- A bustling market stall where Scythian traders exchange furs for sealed amphorae.
- A bustling market stall where Scythian traders exchange furs for sealed amphorae.
- Close‑up of a hand turning a silver coin with a horse and Greek inscription.
- Close‑up of a hand turning a silver coin with a horse and Greek inscription.
- Artisan hammering thin gold sheets, shaping intricate animal motifs.
- Artisan hammering thin gold sheets, shaping intricate animal motifs.
- Family, Clothing, and Adornment: Reveal social organization, gender roles, and distinctive dress.
- A clan gathering around a fire, elders and women discussing matters.
- A clan gathering around a fire, elders and women discussing matters.
- A female archer on horseback, drawing a bow in battle.
- A female archer on horseback, drawing a bow in battle.
- A tailor weaving felt strips, a warrior donning a dark, patterned coat.
- A warrior fastening a belt studded with gold animal plaques.
- A warrior fastening a belt studded with gold animal plaques.