Who were the Scythians?

The Scythians were a nomadic group of tribes who lived in the southern Russian region of Eurasia between the 8th and 3rd century BCE. They were fearsome, agile and powerful warriors whose horse riding abilities and complex and elaborate culture allowed them to overpower their neighbors and anyone who got in their way. They were seen by their foes as being barbaric and savage cannibals who drank the blood of their enemies and lived to fight.

They overcame rival territories to establish themselves as one of the most powerful empires in the region, stretching through Syria and (temporarily) to the borders of Egypt in part to their swiftness in combat and merciless and barbaric fighting style, an empire stretching hundreds of kilometres wide.

The Scythians were also highly sophisticated as a civilisation, having branched off from their rich Iranian heritage. They produced lavish treasures and weapons made from gold, developed intricate customs and practices including the use of tattoos, elaborate burial ceremonies for their leaders and used hallucinogenic drugs. Their tattoos however, really set them apart as a society to others within the region, having been one of the first recorded groups of people to utilise such a form of artwork. Many of the Scythian human remains found today show distinctive and elaborate tattoo designs that are both fictitious and realistic in their themes, ranging from wild animals to mythical beings.

Scythian warriors

The area of which the Scythian people would be located today