Who were the Scythians?
The Histories
223,218 views
Many thanks to Hungry Minds for sponsoring this video! You can use my promo code (THEHISTORIES10) for 10% off 'The Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization'! Click the link below to check it out:
Link: https://mdsh.io/thehistories
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Who were the Scythians? Known to the Greeks as the horse-lords of the Pontic Steppe, the Scythians and related peoples dominated the grasslands north of the Black Sea for centuries. Yet for a long time, much of what was known about their world came only from the pages of Herodotus.
That changed with the rise of archaeology. Excavations of the great Scythian kurgans of the Black Sea region uncovered astonishing wealth: the famous gold objects from Kul-Oba, elaborate horse gear, weapons and finely worked ornaments. Far to the east, the frozen tombs of the Altai preserved textiles, weapons, horses and even mummified human remains, revealing a wider Scytho-Siberian cultural world stretching across the Eurasian Steppe.
Far from the primitive nomads sometimes imagined by ancient and modern writers, the Scythians were a sophisticated and highly mobile society. Their way of life was built around pastoralism and mastery of the horse, while their formidable military traditions allowed them to dominate vast stretches of the steppe. Their wealth and power are reflected in the extraordinary treasures buried alongside their elites, and in the elaborate rituals surrounding their dead.
Yet the Scythian world was not isolated. The great rivers and trade routes of the Eurasian Steppe connected its peoples to distant communities, bringing goods, ideas and cultural influences across enormous distances. In the Black Sea region, centuries of contact with the Greek cities of the coast created a distinctive fusion of steppe and Mediterranean traditions, visible in the remarkable objects found within Scythian tombs.
This ancient history documentary explores the world of the Scythians: from the spectacular archaeology of their kurgans and the mysteries of their burial rituals to their warriors, horses, art and way of life. It traces the rise of one of the great powers of the Iron Age and the forces that ultimately brought the age of the Scythians to an end.
With thanks to my Patreon patrons, whose names appear at the end of each video!
You can join the Patreon to support the channel, watch all the videos ad-free, and access exclusive content.
Support the Channel: Patreon: TheHistories
Music:
Ambient Jam - Technosine
Replicas - all:ambient
Shadows and Dust - Scott Buckley
Interstellar - Future Forests
Europa - Technosine
That Which Remains (Is Connected) - all:ambient
Incantation - Scott Buckley
All materials are used under fair use for education and commentary.
Picture and source credits: https://sites.google.com/view/the-his...
0:00 - Intro
5:52 - Hungry Minds Sponsor Segment
7:25 - The Steppe
11:09 - Origins
16:12 - Early History
20:03 - The Scythian Heyday
25:07 - Society
29:57 - Culture
37:43 - Economy
41:40 - Religion
51:17 - War
01:00:36 - Art
01:03:16 - The Steppe Strikes Again
01:08:19 - Decline and Fall
#Scythians #AncientHistory #HistoryDocumentary
20 Comments
37:27
2. Darius annexed Scythian lands, Achaemenid administratieve cuniform has been found in Crimea.
3.Both "Saka" and "overseas Scythians" served in the Achaemenid army, as can be seen depicted on the tomb of Xerxes.
Who were the Scythians?
The Histories
223,218 views
Many thanks to Hungry Minds for sponsoring this video! You can use my promo code (THEHISTORIES10) for 10% off 'The Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization'! Click the link below to check it out:
Link: https://mdsh.io/thehistories
Promo-code: THEHISTORIES10
Who were the Scythians? Known to the Greeks as the horse-lords of the Pontic Steppe, the Scythians and related peoples dominated the grasslands north of the Black Sea for centuries. Yet for a long time, much of what was known about their world came only from the pages of Herodotus.
That changed with the rise of archaeology. Excavations of the great Scythian kurgans of the Black Sea region uncovered astonishing wealth: the famous gold objects from Kul-Oba, elaborate horse gear, weapons and finely worked ornaments. Far to the east, the frozen tombs of the Altai preserved textiles, weapons, horses and even mummified human remains, revealing a wider Scytho-Siberian cultural world stretching across the Eurasian Steppe.
Far from the primitive nomads sometimes imagined by ancient and modern writers, the Scythians were a sophisticated and highly mobile society. Their way of life was built around pastoralism and mastery of the horse, while their formidable military traditions allowed them to dominate vast stretches of the steppe. Their wealth and power are reflected in the extraordinary treasures buried alongside their elites, and in the elaborate rituals surrounding their dead.
Yet the Scythian world was not isolated. The great rivers and trade routes of the Eurasian Steppe connected its peoples to distant communities, bringing goods, ideas and cultural influences across enormous distances. In the Black Sea region, centuries of contact with the Greek cities of the coast created a distinctive fusion of steppe and Mediterranean traditions, visible in the remarkable objects found within Scythian tombs.
This ancient history documentary explores the world of the Scythians: from the spectacular archaeology of their kurgans and the mysteries of their burial rituals to their warriors, horses, art and way of life. It traces the rise of one of the great powers of the Iron Age and the forces that ultimately brought the age of the Scythians to an end.
With thanks to my Patreon patrons, whose names appear at the end of each video!
You can join the Patreon to support the channel, watch all the videos ad-free, and access exclusive content.
Support the Channel: Patreon: TheHistories
Music:
Ambient Jam - Technosine
Replicas - all:ambient
Shadows and Dust - Scott Buckley
Interstellar - Future Forests
Europa - Technosine
That Which Remains (Is Connected) - all:ambient
Incantation - Scott Buckley
All materials are used under fair use for education and commentary.
Picture and source credits: https://sites.google.com/view/the-his...
0:00 - Intro
5:52 - Hungry Minds Sponsor Segment
7:25 - The Steppe
11:09 - Origins
16:12 - Early History
20:03 - The Scythian Heyday
25:07 - Society
29:57 - Culture
37:43 - Economy
41:40 - Religion
51:17 - War
01:00:36 - Art
01:03:16 - The Steppe Strikes Again
01:08:19 - Decline and Fall
#Scythians #AncientHistory #HistoryDocumentary