The Scythians
Ancient Iranic nomads who dominated the Pontic Steppe.
The Scythians—also called the Pontic Scythians—were an ancient people of Eastern Iranic origin who lived as horse-riding nomads. They moved from Central Asia to the Pontic Steppe, in what is now Ukraine and southern Russia, between the 9th and 8th centuries BC, and stayed there until the 3rd century BC. Experts in fighting on horseback, they took over the western Eurasian Steppe from the Agathyrsi and the Cimmerians in the 8th century BC. During the 7th century BC, they crossed the Caucasus Mountains and frequently raided West Asia together with the Cimmerians.
In the 6th century BC, the Medes forced them out of West Asia, and they retreated back to the Pontic Steppe. Later, between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, the Sarmatians conquered them. By the 3rd century AD, the Goths overwhelmed what remained of the Scythians, and by the early Middle Ages, the last of them had been absorbed into the various populations that moved into the Pontic Steppe during the Migration Period. After they vanished, writers from ancient, medieval, and early modern times used the name "Scythian" for many different steppe peoples who had no connection to them.
The name itself comes from the Scythians' own word for themselves, *Skuδa, meaning "archers." This term traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *skewd-, which also means "shooter" or "archer." The endonym of the Sauromatians, *Saurumata, had a similar meaning: "armed with throwing darts and arrows." From *Skuδa came several other names: the Akkadian forms Askuzāya, Ašguzāya, Asguzāya, and Iškuzāya; the Hebrew *ʾAškūz (later corrupted to ʾAškənāz); and the Ancient Greek Skuthai, which led to the Latin Scythae and finally the English "Scythians." The Urartian name may have been Išqigulu.
Because of a sound change from /δ/ (like the "th" in "the") to /l/ common in the East Iranic language family that Scythian belonged to, *Skuδa evolved into *Skula. This later form appears in Ancient Greek as Skolotoi (with the Greek plural suffix -toi added) and in the name of the 5th-century BC king Scyles.
Originally, ancient authors used "Scythians" strictly for the Iranic people living in the Pontic Steppe between the Danube and Don rivers. In modern archaeology, the term is still used in this narrow sense: it refers specifically to the Iranic people who occupied the Pontic and Crimean Steppes, between the Danube and Don, from the 7th to 3rd centuries BC.
By the Hellenistic period, however, writers like Hecataeus of Miletus sometimes extended "Scythians" to cover all steppe nomads and forest steppe populations in Europe and Asia, including the Saka of Central Asia. Early modern scholars followed this broader usage, especially after the 1930s discovery of items from the eastern Eurasian steppe that formed the "Scythian triad"—distinctive weapons, horse harnesses, and "Animal Style" art—which had previously been seen as markers of the Scythians proper. This broad use has been criticized for lumping together many different peoples and cultures, leading to errors. Scythologists like Askold Ivantchik prefer the narrow definition, referring to the Pontic Steppe people between the 7th and 3rd centuries BC as the Scythians proper (sometimes called Pontic Scythians). Modern anthropologists often use "Scytho-Siberians" for the larger cultural grouping of nomadic peoples across the Eurasian steppe and forest steppe, from Central Europe to the borders of the Chinese Zhou Empire, of which the Pontic Scythians were just one part. This term has also been criticized, since it sometimes includes Iron Age horse-riding nomads who were not Scythian or Saka. Scholars Nicola Di Cosmo and Andrzej Rozwadowski prefer "Early Nomadic" for this broad grouping.
The ancient Persians used the name Saka for all steppe nomads and specifically called the Pontic Scythians the Sakā tayaiy paradraya ("the Saka who dwell beyond the Black Sea"). In modern scholarship, "Saka" refers to the Iranic pastoralist nomads who lived in the steppes of Central Asia and East Turkestan in the 1st millennium BC. The Late Babylonian scribes of the Achaemenid Empire used "Cimmerians" for all steppe nomads, including the Scythians and Saka. Although the Cimmerians were an Iranic people who shared a common language, origins, and culture with the Scythians and cannot be told apart from them archaeologically, all contemporary sources clearly distinguish between the two groups.
- Born
- 9th to 8th centuries BC (migration from Central Asia)
- Died
- 3rd century AD (remnants overwhelmed by Goths); assimilated by early Middle Ages
- Field
- Equestrian nomadic culture, mounted warfare
- Nationality
- Eastern Iranic (Pontic Steppe, modern Ukraine and Southern Russia)
- Known for
- Dominating the Pontic Steppe, skilled mounted archers, Scythian triad of weapons, horse harnesses, and Animal Style art
Lore & Background
The Scythians originated in Central Asia or the Altai-Sayan region, part of a larger movement of Iranic nomads westward. They were already acquainted with quality goldsmithing and sophisticated bronze-casting, as attested by gold pieces found in the 8th century BC Aržan-1 kurgan. Their migration into the Caucasian Steppe began in the 9th century BC, possibly after being expelled from Central Asia by the Massagetae or the Issedones, and they reached Ciscaucasia between c. In the 7th century BC, the Scythians crossed the Caucasus Mountains and raided West Asia along with the Cimmerians. In the 6th century BC, they were expelled from West Asia by the Medes and retreated back into the Pontic Steppe. They were later conquered by the Sarmatians in the 3rd to 2nd centuries BC. By the 3rd century AD, the remnants of the Scythians were overwhelmed by the Goths, and by the early Middle Ages the last Scythians were assimilated and absorbed by successive populations during the Migration Period.
Reader's Guide
The Scythians are significant as a key example of early Iron Age equestrian nomadic culture on the Eurasian Steppe. Their name, derived from an endonym meaning 'archers,' was later used by ancient, medieval, and early modern authors to refer to various unrelated steppe populations. In modern scholarship, the term 'Scythians' is used narrowly for the Iranic people of the Pontic and Crimean Steppes (7th–3rd centuries BC), though Hellenistic and early modern authors extended it broadly to all steppe nomads. The discovery of the 'Scythian triad'—distinctive weapons, horse harnesses, and Animal Style art—led to a broader archaeological grouping called 'Scytho-Siberians,' though this term has been criticized for lumping together heterogeneous cultures. The Scythians' legacy includes their influence on later nomadic groups and their role in the historical record through Akkadian cuneiform texts and Graeco-Roman sources, notably Herodotus, whose accounts mix fact with folklore.
Did You Know?
- The name 'Scythian' derives from the Scythian endonym *Skuδa, meaning 'archers,' from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'shooter, archer.'
- The Scythians were expelled from West Asia by the Medes in the 6th century BC.
- The Scythian triad consists of distinctive weapons, horse harnesses, and objects decorated in 'Animal Style' art.
- The Urartian name for the Scythians may have been Išqigulu.
A Place Among Lost Civilizations
The Scythians hold a position within the Lost Civilizations series, a body of books issued by Reaktion Books that has been in circulation since 2015. In the series' internal organization, the Scythians are slotted under the Asian continent, sharing that grouping with civilizations such as the Indus, Persia, Sumer, Phoenicia, the Hittites, Korea, and Assyria. This placement positions the Scythians alongside a remarkably diverse array of ancient peoples whose narratives stretch across a vast geographic and temporal span. The series as a whole has now reached eighteen published volumes, with a nineteenth expected to arrive in 2026, signalling a continuing commitment to mapping the full breadth of humanity's ancient past. The Scythians' inclusion in this particular continental grouping reflects the series' broader ambition to represent civilizations from every major landmass, ensuring that readers encounter a genuinely global portrait of ancient human achievement and eventual transformation.
Scope of Inquiry
The Lost Civilizations series, within which the Scythians are featured, commits to tracing the full arc of each civilization it addresses. For the Scythians and their fellow entries, the books examine origins, development, and eventual decline, treating each people not as a frozen snapshot but as a living entity that rose, flourished, and ultimately transformed or faded. Beyond simple chronology, the series considers the history, art, culture, and legacy of these ancient peoples, suggesting that the Scythians' story is told not only through political or material events but also through their creative expressions and the lasting imprint they left on later cultures. This multi-dimensional approach means a reader encountering the Scythians in this series would find an account weaving together material culture, artistic production, and the long shadow these peoples cast on the modern world, rather than a narrow focus confined to any single facet of their existence.
Publication and Access
The Scythians' entry in the Lost Civilizations series benefits from the publication practices of Reaktion Books, which has issued the collection since 2015. Like every other title in the line, the Scythians volume is available in both hardback and electronic formats, making it reachable to readers who prefer a physical book as well as those who consume text digitally. Since 2021, the series has shifted toward releasing electronic editions simultaneously with their hardback counterparts, though earlier volumes saw the digital version follow the print edition by some interval. While six titles across the series have additionally been issued in paperback, the Scythians volume follows the standard model of hardback and e-book availability. This multi-format strategy ensures that the narrative of the Scythians can reach a broad audience, from academic and public libraries to individual readers exploring ancient civilizations for the very first time, without being constrained to a single physical medium.
A Global Canvas
The Scythians are one thread in a far larger tapestry of ancient civilizations that the Lost Civilizations series seeks to illuminate. The collection spans four continents, with entries covering Asia (where the Scythians are situated), Africa (including Egypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia), Europe (featuring the Barbarians, Etruscans, Goths, Greece, and the Minoans), and the Americas (with the Aztecs, Inca, and Maya). This worldwide scope means the Scythians' story is read against the backdrop of a truly international survey of human civilization. With eighteen volumes already in print and a nineteenth on the horizon for 2026, the series represents a sustained, multi-year scholarly undertaking. The Scythians' position within this constellation of ancient peoples—from the Indus to the Maya, from Sumer to the Goths—underscores the series' commitment to treating every civilization, regardless of its geographic location, with equal depth and scholarly seriousness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are The Scythians?
The Scythians, also called the Pontic Scythians, were an ancient Eastern Iranic nomadic people who became the dominant force on the western Eurasian Steppe. They migrated from Central Asia into the Pontic Steppe region of modern Ukraine and Southern Russia during the 9th to 8th centuries BC.
What were The Scythians known for?
They were celebrated as expert mounted archers and warriors, famous for their distinctive triad of weapons and elaborate horse harnesses. Their artistic legacy, known as Animal Style art, remains one of the most recognizable visual traditions of the ancient steppe world.
When did The Scythians rise and fall?
The Scythians seized dominance over the Pontic Steppe in the 8th century BC, displacing earlier groups such as the Cimmerians and Agathyrsi. Their political power faded by the 3rd century BC, and surviving remnants were eventually overwhelmed by Gothic pressures before being fully absorbed into early medieval populations.
How did The Scythians project power beyond the steppe?
In the 7th century BC, Scythian warriors allied with the Cimmerians to launch raids into West Asia, extending their military reach far beyond the Pontic Steppe. These campaigns underscored their effectiveness as a formidable mounted force operating well outside their homeland.
Why are The Scythians significant in history?
As the first major nomadic power to consolidate control over the Pontic Steppe, they reshaped the political landscape of western Eurasia for centuries. Their equestrian warfare techniques, material culture, and artistic traditions left a lasting imprint on the regions they inhabited and the civilizations they encountered.
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