Меч з дорогоцінним оздобленням руків'я і піхов

The sword was found in the burial site of a noble Scythian warrior. The grave had been robbed. Archaeologists discovered on the floor the remains of a wooden tomb, the pelvic and leg bones of the deceased. The sword and a massive gold plaque depicting baby elk lie near his legs. More pieces were found in the tomb: steel armour fragments, spear and arrowheads, three battleaxes, bridle elements, a bronze gilt bull figurine and a few black-figure vessels. Only the hilt and a part of a blade remained from the steel sword. The hilt is decorated with gold filigree-ornamented plaques. The blade was enclosed in a wooden scabbard with a gold cover. A wood didn’t survive, but the gold plaque and the sheath`s tip are in good condition. Two goats in the heraldic pose are depicted in the upper oval part of the plaque. Seven panthers with downed legs are depicted one by one along the lower narrowed part. The images were made in a typical 7th – 6th century BCE Scythian animal style. The gold scabbard tip has a conical shape. It was made from a solid forged plate, the ends of which were laid on each other and soldered. Its upper part is decorated with granulation grouped in triangles. Due to A. Meliukova classification, this sword is related to swords with a brick-like pommel and a kidney-shaped crossguard. There are 16 similar swords known in the burial mounds of the North Black Sea region. In addition, compatible finds are known from the territories of Siberia, Caucasus, Romania and Hungary. This sword stands out among other pieces with its rich decoration.