Tiraspol, 14 July. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. Pridnestrovian archaeologists have discovered an intact tomb of a highborn Scythian warrior. Discovered artifacts allow the scientists to define the time of the tomb's construction, the warrior's status and the reason of his death. In addition, these finds have helped to supplement the general picture of the ideological concepts of the Scythians and gain knowledge of their cultural contacts.
The archaeologists say that the Scythians built a tomb for their warrior inside a burial mound belonging to an earlier epoch. Such earth mounds were built like pyramids and were deemed sacred places. They appeared in the Black Sea steppes over 5,000 years ago and symbolised a passage between the worlds for numerous ancient nomadic tribes.
The burial mound near the village of Butor, Grigoriopol District, is one of the biggest in Eastern Europe
The tomb's attribution to the Scythian culture is proved by its construction, the position of the deceased and the artifacts near him. A rectangular pitch was dug up in the centre of the mound. It was rather deep: about three metres deep from the top of the earth embankment which has survived until nowadays.
After the burial ritual the tomb was covered with large wooden boards, whose traces the archaeologists discovered in the process of digging. In the course of time — over 2,300 years has passed, according to specialists — the wood had decayed and soil penetrated the tomb. The archaeologists spent several days clearing the tomb, but the finale was even more than successful — they had discovered an «intact Scythian», which is very rare for the Northwest Black Sea region.
«The tomb is very remarkable, as the most of Scythian tombs were plindered in the Antiquity," says a Scythian expert, Dr Vitaly Sinika.
«Scythian tombs began to be destroyed by their fellow tribesmen. Back in the 5th century BC, the father of history, Herodotus, describes a Scythian execution for destroying tombs — tearing a person apart with horses. In the following centuries their tombs were plundered by the Sarmatians and Huns, medieval nomads and even peasants in the late 19th century. Unfortunately, tombs are still destroyed nowadays," says the expert.
Three iron javelins discovered in the tomb testifies to the fact that the deceased was a warrior. Their shafts long decayed, and corrosion also affected the spearheads.
Another indicator of the military status is an impressive quiver of bronze and bone arrowheads. They were placed by the right hip of the deceased and, as distinct from the javelins, are better preserved. The quiver was attached to the warrior's belt by a dedicated iron hook, and the set included a bone hone for sharpening arrowheads and an iron knife with a bone handle to treat arrow shafts.
The Scythian warrior seems to have died in a battle. There was a bronze three-bladed arrow head between his ribs.
Other equally interesting artifacts testify to the warrior's highborn status. A Greek amphora, used for storing and transporting wine, broke under the pressure of soil, which does not diminish its value. The antique container can help to define the time of burying with an accuracy of 25 years. Only prosperous people could afford to have such amphorae, since the Scythians did not produce wine and it cost much to import «Dionysus' drink” back then.
Another high status discovery is a bronze serpent-like fibula. This accessory was used both to bind clothes and as an embellishment. Such fibulae are a rare discovery in the Scythian tombs of the 4th century BC. According to the archaeologists, it is the second time when this kind of fibula is found in Pridnestrovie. It was not made by the Scythians, but by the representatives of another culture — the Thracian — wide spread to the west of the Dniester from the foothills of the Carpathians and further to the Balkans. According to Vitaly Sinika, the Thracian fibula in the Scythian tomb testifies to close ties between the two cultures.
A bone comb is also unique for the Northwest Black Sea region. It has some images, but the specialists have not managed to discern them in detail. The atrifact is very fragmented, which means specialists will be able to obtain the maximum historic information only after long and thorough restoration works.
The most enigmatic discovery is a wooden vessel with three stones. The wood has almost decayed and is unlikely to be reconstructed. But the stones may offer much more to historians. Two of them are white, and one is black. Vitaly Sinika tells about an ancient Scythian ritual which is mentioned in rare manuscripts only.
«The white stones were a symbol of happiness. The black ones symbolised bad luck. The Scythians used them to mark their days. The more white stones there were, the happier was the man," Sinika refers to Greek historian Phylarchus, who lived in the 3rd century BC.
The prime minister, Pavel Prokudin, visited the archaeological site. The head of the government appreciates the history of the region and takes interested in antiquities. On Thursday he had participated in the graduation ceremony at Pridnestrovian State University where he heard about the archaeological find. Pavel Prokudin went to the vicinity of Glinoye village, Slobodzeya District, to congratulate in person the archaeologists on a successful season and see the artifacts many museums of the world would be envious of.
«We have brilliant enthusiasts. They are exploring our region even when it is 40 °C. I can't but admire them and the conditions in which they make scientific discoveries which will be enshrined in the history of our country. Well done… Such finds are rare even in the top museums of the world," the prime minister told journalists.
The emergency excavations of five mounds which were seriously damaged this spring during agricultural works are under way in the village of Glinoye, Slobodzeya District. The scientific staff of the Archaeology research laboratory together with the students of the Department of Social Sciences have already investigated 20 tombs. Among the finds is an antique vessel with a Scythian tribal sign and a tomb of a warrior belonging to the Catacomb Culture.
Pridnestrovian archaeologists have been carrying out excavations for already 25 years. Over 50,000 artifacts, many of which are unique, have been discovered. Archaeologists from CIS countries (Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Kazakhstan), Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria and other European countries call Pridnestrovie «archaeological Klondike». At the same time over 150 archaeological monuments are destroyed in the country every year during various earthworks. Specialists say the law «On preservation of cultural heritage monuments» as well as the regulation «On historical and cultural expert examination» do not work properly.
Alexander Koretsky
