11-20-2005, 02:51 PM
Mathew as for the reconstruction swords with longer blade than akinakes have been found in grave of nobles. Skythians controled an extensive trade network so if you are not a purist Celtic, Greek or even Chinese sword could be available. A russian book about hoplite armies (ARMIA DREVNEY GRETSII 2004 issue) making use of the Pazyryk fasmatoskopy analysis recreated a Skythian archer in Athenian service.
I also agree with you that some times soviet sources can be VERY biased.
The only clear case of horse culture tatoos on nobles are the Huns not Skythians but if memory serves me even Procopios (eye witness) does not mention tatoos on Atilla.
The word mameluk (slave soldier) appears in Caucasus an Kama river dialects earlier than the Crusades. Herodotus says a clan called "Royal Skythians" views all other Skythians as their slaves. So the tatooed guy might just might be the slave bodyguard of the princess. That is why I do not dismiss the soviet report entirely. If I recall the lady was not tatooed.
I asked my wife to do a google.ru search and many tattoo parlors were advertising Skythian Pazyryk type tatooes. That might have to do something with the consept of aristocracy marking-only daughters of "New Russians" can afford very extensive tatooing in former CIS!!
As I said elaborate folk make up for ladies exists even today in cultures traced to the Skythians and there are some Georgian epics mentionig application and reapplication of "battle marks" and in the link I gave there are people arguing if the dead are mongoloids not indo-european as the Skythians were.
Plus feell free to accept or dismiss the following because I cannot easily verify. 8 years ago I visited one of the famous Meteora monasteries.
In their library there were fragments of a book attempting to copy a translated 2nd century A.D. "slavers-manual". Permanent marking (tattooing) was mentioned as effective slave control and the "Colchians" were mentioned as an example. Since I cannot verify I do not press the point here.
Kind regards
Stefanos
I also agree with you that some times soviet sources can be VERY biased.
The only clear case of horse culture tatoos on nobles are the Huns not Skythians but if memory serves me even Procopios (eye witness) does not mention tatoos on Atilla.
The word mameluk (slave soldier) appears in Caucasus an Kama river dialects earlier than the Crusades. Herodotus says a clan called "Royal Skythians" views all other Skythians as their slaves. So the tatooed guy might just might be the slave bodyguard of the princess. That is why I do not dismiss the soviet report entirely. If I recall the lady was not tatooed.
I asked my wife to do a google.ru search and many tattoo parlors were advertising Skythian Pazyryk type tatooes. That might have to do something with the consept of aristocracy marking-only daughters of "New Russians" can afford very extensive tatooing in former CIS!!
As I said elaborate folk make up for ladies exists even today in cultures traced to the Skythians and there are some Georgian epics mentionig application and reapplication of "battle marks" and in the link I gave there are people arguing if the dead are mongoloids not indo-european as the Skythians were.
Plus feell free to accept or dismiss the following because I cannot easily verify. 8 years ago I visited one of the famous Meteora monasteries.
In their library there were fragments of a book attempting to copy a translated 2nd century A.D. "slavers-manual". Permanent marking (tattooing) was mentioned as effective slave control and the "Colchians" were mentioned as an example. Since I cannot verify I do not press the point here.
Kind regards
Stefanos
HOPLITE14GR (aka Stefanos)
Phokean Ekdromos
http://hetairoi.de/
http://hoplomachia.gr
http://stefanosskarmintzos.wordpress.com
Phokean Ekdromos
http://hetairoi.de/
http://hoplomachia.gr
http://stefanosskarmintzos.wordpress.com
