Martin and Michael,
I think you're both spot-on. For instance, Ammianus' description of the Huns degrades them to sub-human. They're the Neanderthals of his "modern" age. Another writer comes to mind-- Themistius, who derided the Goths to a position of wild Scythians... when in fact they were perhaps the most civilized "barbarians" at the edge of the Empire.
Roman prejudice aside, this thread seems to give an accurate portrayal of the Saka and early Alans which we didn't get from the likes of Ammianus or Themistius. Pun not intended, but we're actually getting the "picture." The amazing cultural continuity noticed by Michael between the illustrations of the Pazyryk warrior and later Bosphoran warrior is striking. Both "priestesses" appear to be shaved bald. In the Altai, the Ukok queen (or priestess, or whatever she was) was also bald; and I believe this shaving was done to allow their extraordinarily-tall hats (or wigs, or a combination of both) to be worn without slipping off.
Earlier, I imbedded an illustration of the gold belt buckle showing a woman wearing such a hat or coiffure. Here is the "full" picture (below).
The entire buckle is now seen; and it contains so many of the cultural "quirks" we've mentioned in the various posts in this thread. Under that tall hat, we see no hairline on the woman. She is bald. The two horses have crenelated manes. The tree in the background probably represents the "tree of life." She embraces the head of perhaps a dying warrior, readying him for his journey. I do believe, that the woman on this gold "Siberian" buckle, and the woman in the Sirace Alan wall painting, plus the actual costume worn by the Golden Woman of Issyk, all represent not a queen but each tribe's "High Warrior Priestess." As such, the Ukok "queen" probably falls into the same category. Both warriors have mustaches only; no scruffy Scythian beards for these guys.
What we're not getting from a written record, we're finding through depictions on cultural artifacts. Below, is a detailed illustration of the gold "Wusun Diadem." Like the so-called "Siberian" buckle, it was crafted in the Ordos by Northern Chinese. Ordos art has a very distinctive style of interlocking branches and leaves. Here we see a woman riding a horned dragon. Notice what appears to be a short cloak extending from her shoulder. The significance of this piece puzzles me, so any thoughts are welcome.
This diadem was in the Kangali grave. Y.A. Zadneprovskiy notes, "A famous [Wusun] find is the Kangali burial of a female shaman discovered at an altitude of 2,300 m., near Almaty, containing jewelry, clothing, head-dress, and nearly 300 gold objects." Another find in Tenlik in eastern Zletysu contained the grave of a high-ranking warrior (no hint as to gender), whose clothing had been decorated with around 100 golden bosses.
The two Wusun graves show an amazing cultural link to the Saka kurgan grave of the Golden Woman. On her clothing, we find hundreds of gold bosses. Additionally, in view of the term "shaman," I'm adding a photo of the Golden Woman's gold rings and a close-up of her tall hat. (To anyone new to RAT, simply "click" on the picture and it will enlarge in a separate box. You can then "right-click" on the larger image and save it for your files.)
I think you're both spot-on. For instance, Ammianus' description of the Huns degrades them to sub-human. They're the Neanderthals of his "modern" age. Another writer comes to mind-- Themistius, who derided the Goths to a position of wild Scythians... when in fact they were perhaps the most civilized "barbarians" at the edge of the Empire.
Roman prejudice aside, this thread seems to give an accurate portrayal of the Saka and early Alans which we didn't get from the likes of Ammianus or Themistius. Pun not intended, but we're actually getting the "picture." The amazing cultural continuity noticed by Michael between the illustrations of the Pazyryk warrior and later Bosphoran warrior is striking. Both "priestesses" appear to be shaved bald. In the Altai, the Ukok queen (or priestess, or whatever she was) was also bald; and I believe this shaving was done to allow their extraordinarily-tall hats (or wigs, or a combination of both) to be worn without slipping off.
Earlier, I imbedded an illustration of the gold belt buckle showing a woman wearing such a hat or coiffure. Here is the "full" picture (below).
The entire buckle is now seen; and it contains so many of the cultural "quirks" we've mentioned in the various posts in this thread. Under that tall hat, we see no hairline on the woman. She is bald. The two horses have crenelated manes. The tree in the background probably represents the "tree of life." She embraces the head of perhaps a dying warrior, readying him for his journey. I do believe, that the woman on this gold "Siberian" buckle, and the woman in the Sirace Alan wall painting, plus the actual costume worn by the Golden Woman of Issyk, all represent not a queen but each tribe's "High Warrior Priestess." As such, the Ukok "queen" probably falls into the same category. Both warriors have mustaches only; no scruffy Scythian beards for these guys.
What we're not getting from a written record, we're finding through depictions on cultural artifacts. Below, is a detailed illustration of the gold "Wusun Diadem." Like the so-called "Siberian" buckle, it was crafted in the Ordos by Northern Chinese. Ordos art has a very distinctive style of interlocking branches and leaves. Here we see a woman riding a horned dragon. Notice what appears to be a short cloak extending from her shoulder. The significance of this piece puzzles me, so any thoughts are welcome.
This diadem was in the Kangali grave. Y.A. Zadneprovskiy notes, "A famous [Wusun] find is the Kangali burial of a female shaman discovered at an altitude of 2,300 m., near Almaty, containing jewelry, clothing, head-dress, and nearly 300 gold objects." Another find in Tenlik in eastern Zletysu contained the grave of a high-ranking warrior (no hint as to gender), whose clothing had been decorated with around 100 golden bosses.
The two Wusun graves show an amazing cultural link to the Saka kurgan grave of the Golden Woman. On her clothing, we find hundreds of gold bosses. Additionally, in view of the term "shaman," I'm adding a photo of the Golden Woman's gold rings and a close-up of her tall hat. (To anyone new to RAT, simply "click" on the picture and it will enlarge in a separate box. You can then "right-click" on the larger image and save it for your files.)
Alan J. Campbell
member of Legio III Cyrenaica and the Uncouth Barbarians
Author of:
The Demon's Door Bolt (2011)
Forging the Blade (2012)
"It's good to be king. Even when you're dead!"
Old Yuezhi/Pazyrk proverb
member of Legio III Cyrenaica and the Uncouth Barbarians
Author of:
The Demon's Door Bolt (2011)
Forging the Blade (2012)
"It's good to be king. Even when you're dead!"
Old Yuezhi/Pazyrk proverb
