The Scythian Women - Illuminated by the Sun

Alongside brave male warriors were their wives who were in no way inferior to their husbands.  They were responsible for raising children and running households, but when necessary, they could take up arms and repel attackers.

We are familiar with a significant number of golden appliques depicting anthropomorphic characters, zoomorphic figures, and plant motifs, which were sewn onto the clothing of Scythian women, based on archaeological findings.

In addition to clothing, valuable appliques were also used to embellish headgear. The shape of these hats could reveal much about their owner, and it is believed that unmarried girls wore high, conical hats, which could also be part of wedding attire.

Married women's appearance reflected their social status. They wore cylindrical headgear with distinct decorations, possibly inspired by ancient Greek/Roman cities.

Among the images that adorned clothing, animal images have prevailed since ancient times - proud deer, mysterious goats, and sly predators.

Sometimes, the main headdress was supplemented with temple pendants. These consist of a shield with images of plants and a scene of a griffin fighting a man and a cascade of pendants on thin chains.

The most common and favorite decorations of Scythian women were earrings of various fanciful shapes. Some of them are quite heavy (over 7 grams), so it is believed that such decorations could also be worn as pendants for headdresses.

Sometimes earrings were adorned with precious stones, but overall this tradition was not typical for the Scythian era. It spread later when the Sarmatians took over the Ukrainian steppes, and Greek cities on the Black Sea coast fell under the influence of Hellenistic culture.

Other decorations were also popular. The noblest women wore ring-like necklaces, which conventionally are called "hrivna". Some of these products were adorned with images of lionesses. Perhaps, such zoomorphic decoration was a sign of the owner's belonging to the royal family.

The Scythian women had a penchant for adorning themselves with a variety of necklaces. These were precious strings crafted from gold or silver components, with some sets made from ceramics and covered with a thin gold foil. They were often complemented with talisman pendants.

One of the widely used necklaces was a vibrant glass bead necklace crafted in the workshops of ancient Greek/Roman cities, with some serving as talismans as well. Specifically, the beads decorated with concentric circles - "eyes" were believed to protect women from the evil eye.

Even goddesses were replicated in gold. Scythian women boldly employed images of Greek deities, regarding them as their own divine beings.

Each Scythian woman had her own set of detachable adornments such as pendants, earrings, and necklaces. While walking or moving most of these pieces would chime and rustle, producing a soft melody that was always unique.

Rings were the finishing touch of their adornments. The most common were simple gold rings with a flat or convex round shield, which could either remain smooth or be embellished with some image. Such rings were typically worn in sets of 6-10.

The renowned depictions of Scythian goddesses are the Argimpasa, Api, or Tabiti. The images on their earrings and pendants portray a mature woman sitting on a throne surrounded by lions and mythical creatures.

She is commonly referred to as the "Mistress of the Beasts," as it is difficult to definitively identify which goddess is depicted in this particular case.