SCYTHIAN AMAZON BURIAL IN CHERKASY REGION

The burial complex of an armed woman was investigated in 1988 on the outskirts of the town Gorodyshche in Cherkasy region. The design of the burial complex combines features characteristic of both nomadic Scythians and the local forest-steppe population. The funeral inventory of the deceased is made up of objects typical of the Scythians: meat food on a wooden plate, two spears, a set of 11 arrows with bronze arrowheads; a bone cheek-piece and jewelery — gold earrings, a pendant and neck hryvnia tips. By all indications (a specially erected kurhan, the powerful wooden construction, the size and interior of the grave, decorations made of precious metal), the buried woman belonged to a small group of commanders or leaders of a certain fighting unit of the Scythians. It is possible that this Amazon could lead one of the Scythian squads that controlled certain sections of land communications through which trade flows took place. She could also lead a militarized unit of mercenaries who served the local aristocracy. In any case, she was buried as a Scythian warrior. This complex replenishes a small series of 27 graves of the Amazons in the forest-steppe Dnieper region and dates from the first half of the 4th century BC.