The evolution of Scythian art

Early Scythian art was characterized by its use of animal motifs and appeared in eastern Europe in the 8th century BCE. Some scholars suggest the art style developed under Near Eastern influence during the military campaigns of the 7th century BCE, but the more common theory is that it developed on the eastern part of the Eurasian Steppe under Chinese influence. Others have sought to reconcile the two theories, suggesting that the animal style of the west and eastern parts of the steppe developed independently of each other, under Near Eastern and Chinese influences respectively. Regardless, the animal style art of the Scythians was distinctive and differed considerably from the cultures around it.

Scythian animal style works are typically divided into birds, ungulates and beasts of prey. This probably reflects the tripartite division of the Scythian cosmos, with birds belonging to the upper level, ungulates to the middle level and beasts of prey in the lower level. Images of mythological creatures such a griffins are not uncommon in Scythian animal style, but these are probably the result of Near Eastern influences. By the late 6th century BCE, as Scythian activity in the Near East was reduced, depictions of mythological creatures largely disappears from Scythian art.

With the increased influence of the Greeks and Persians in the 5th century BCE, the depictions of animals became more realistic and are depicted fighting each other rather than as individual subjects. Warriors on kurgan stelae, earlier depicted with almond-shaped eyes and mustaches, are shown in the 5th century BCE with rounder eyes and full beards.

By the 4th century BCE, scholars think much of the Scythian artwork found in royal burials is being made by Greek craftsmen.  Depictions of human beings is much more prevalent, mythological creatures are reintroduced, and themes are thought to be illustrations of Scythian legends, some with religious significance. 

Ongoing Hellenization in the 3rd century BCE, however, results in the disappearance of original Scythian art forms all together. The Scythians eventually settled in the Crimea and along the Lower Dnieper River and engaged in stockbreeding and agriculture. Their capital at Scythian Neapolis served as an important trading center until the 2nd century CE even though its royal palace was destroyed by Diophantus,  a general of the Pontic king Mithridates VI, at the end of the 2nd century BCE, and was not rebuilt. It is thought the Scythians were eventually assimilated by the Sarmatians.

Gold dress ornament depicting two Scythian archers standing back to back as they shoot their compound bows from the tomb of a Scythian king, and his consort 400-350 BCE made at Pantikapaion on the north coast of the Black Sea that I photographed at the British Museum in 2016.

A gold plaque depicting a Scythian rider with a spear in his right hand, 2nd century BCE, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Scythian comb from Solokha, early 4th century BCE courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.

Closeup of the reverse side of a Scythian comb from Solokha, early 4th century BCE courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.

Gold pectoral, or neckpiece, from a royal kurgan in Tolstaya Mogila, Pokrov, Ukraine, dated to the second half of the 4th century BCE, of Greek workmanship. The central lower tier shows three horses, each being torn apart by two griffins. Scythian art was especially focused on animal figures. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributor Д.Колосов.

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Early Greek Influence In Etruria

I continue to listen to a lecture series on the intersection of Greek and Roman culture. In today’s lecture Professor Garland mentioned that the fifth king of Rome was really not Etruscan but the son of a Corinthian Greek named Demaratus who settled in Tarquinia to teach the Etruscans how to mold clay – especially into roof tiles. Apparently, roof tiles from Etruria have even been found in excavations of Corinth and scholars think the clay beds recently uncovered in Rome were probably the source of the raw material used in their construction. I found this information really interesting.

In his evaluation of classes of early Etruscan pottery, Alan Blakeway, in his article "Demaratus": A Study in Some Aspects of the Earliest Hellenisation of Latium and Etruria" in The Journal of Roman Studies, observes:

"This class, implying as it does the presence of Greek craftsmen in
Etruria at least as early as the ninth century B.c., is by far the most important as evidence of the character of this early Hellenisation. It is, of course, impossible to estimate exactly the contribution of these Greek [craftsmen] the development of Etruscan civilisation in this and in the following period, but it must be admitted that they provide a more satisfactory explanation of the Hellenisation of Etruscan Art in the ninth, eighth and seventh centuries than the theory of native genius working on imported models. In fact, it is probably they who are largely responsible for the great capacity for the imitation of Greek products shown by some of the ninth- and eighth-century potters of Etruria, as well as for the efflorescence of Graeco-Etruscan art in the seventh century. For Etruscan art (unlike that of most other Barbarian peoples) thus not only enjoyed the benefit of Greek influence both early in its own history and at a time when Greek art was not so far advanced beyond that of Etruria as to sterilise the native genius, but also learnt its lessons, in part at least, from Greek craftsmen working in Etruria, and not merely from the chance models imported by
Greek commerce."

He goes on to say:

"So far as our archaeological evidence goes, this earliest Greek influence seems to have been almost as strong as the Oriental in its effects on Etruscan art. If indeed there was any large-scale Oriental immigration in this and the preceding period, the art brought with it had no overwhelming or immediate effect on that of Etruria. With the major historical problem of the origin of the Etruscans I am not concerned; but it is necessary for me to point out that the theory of late Lydian immigration has done much to obscure (if not to conceal)the important early Greek contribution to Etruscan civilisation. Greek influence on Etruria is, in fact, not confined to the seventh century and later: it begins almost as soon as the civilisation of Etruria (on one theory) passed from the Villanovan to the Etruscan culture, that is to say, it almost coincides in time with the first appearance of non-Italian imports and influence." If you enjoyed this post, never miss out on future posts by following me by email!