Talks at Google

Ep501 - Barry Cunliffe | The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the Steppe

Nov 22, 2024

Barry Cunliffe, a Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford, dives into the fascinating world of the Scythians—master horsemen and formidable warriors of the steppe. He explores their rich interactions with the Chinese, Persians, and Greeks, revealing complex trade relationships and cultural exchanges. The podcast sheds light on their intricate burial practices, the artistry of Scythian mythology, and their unique societal structures, intertwined with tales of warfare and gender dynamics. Discover how these nomads shaped the cultural landscape of ancient Eurasia.

55:01

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Barry Cunliffe

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Quick takeaways

The Scythians were highly mobile nomadic horsemen, adapting to their environment and relying on equestrian prowess for survival.

Interactions with sedentary civilizations like the Greeks involved trade and cultural exchange, contrasting their military conflicts with the Persians.

Deep dives

The Scythians' Nomadic Life and Geography

The Scythians were nomadic horsemen who thrived across the vast grasslands of the Asian steppe, ranging from the Altai Mountains to the Great Hungarian Plain. This unique environment, characterized by varied climates that affected grass growth, fostered their mobility and was crucial to their way of life. The landscape encouraged constant movement, compelling the Scythians to explore new areas and adapt to changing conditions. This nomadic lifestyle was heavily reliant on horses, which played a significant role in their capacity to traverse vast distances and maintain their pastoral traditions.

Intro

2min

The Nomadic Legacy of the Scythians

8min

Scythian Wealth and Warfare

6min

The Fearsome Scythians: Warriors of the Steppe

17min

Preservation of Scythian Heritage in the Altai Mountains

3min

Unveiling Scythian Traditions

6min

The Scythians: Mythology, Art, and Society

14min

Sir Barry Cunliffe has been Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford for 35 years and is a Fellow of the British Academy. In this talk, he discusses his book "The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the Steppe.”

Brilliant horsemen and great fighters, the Scythians were nomadic horsemen who ranged wide across the grasslands of the Asian steppe from the Altai mountains in the east to the Great Hungarian Plain in the first millennium BCE. Their steppe homeland bordered on a number of sedentary states to the south - the Chinese, the Persians and the Greeks - and there were inevitably numerous interactions between the nomads and their neighbors. The Scythians fought the Persians on a number of occasions, in one battle killing their king and on another occasion driving the invading army of Darius the Great from the steppe. Relations with the Greeks around the shores of the Black Sea were rather different - both communities benefited from trading with each other. This led to the development of a brilliant art style, often depicting scenes from Scythian mythology and everyday life.

It is from the writings of Greeks like the historian Herodotus that we learn of Scythian life: their beliefs, their burial practices, their love of fighting, and their ambivalent attitudes to gender. It is a world that is also brilliantly illuminated by the rich material culture recovered from Scythian burials, from the graves of kings on the Pontic steppe, with their elaborate gold work and vividly coloured fabrics, to the frozen tombs of the Altai mountains, where all the organic material - wooden carvings, carpets, saddles and even tattooed human bodies - is amazingly well preserved. Barry Cunliffe here marshals this vast array of evidence - both archaeological and textual - in a masterful reconstruction of the lost world of the Scythians, allowing them to emerge in all their considerable vigor and splendor for the first time in over two millennia.

Originally published in December of 2019.

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