Scythians

The Scythians were Iranian equestrian nomadic tribes inhabiting the Northern Black Sea region from the VII century BC up until the III century BC. The vast Scythian collection of the museum contains the objects excavated from the numerous kurgans (mounds) of the Odessa region (Artsyz, Semenovka, Plavni, Chaush etc) as well as the objects found in the ancient Scythian and Scythian-Hellenistic settlements (Nikolaevka). The Scythian objects have also been collected in the excavations of the ancient Greek Lower Dniester-Tiras poleis. The Scythian collection includes offensive weapons (arrow heads, spears and swords), defence equipment (body armour, helmets, and shields), stone figures, and ceramics, items of metal and glass jewellery, and ritual bronze cauldrons.