Scythians used human skin as leather

[guy]

 

 

The Scythians were a nomadic Steppe tribe. They were an equestrian nomadic people. They were well known for being skilled mounted bowmen. They were known stating in the 9th century BCE until they were replaced by the Sarmatians in the 3rd century BCE.
 

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The Scythians were known to the ancient Greeks, —famed historian Herodotus mentioned them in his writings. He said they were known to drink the blood of their slain enemies and sometimes used their scalps as a means for wiping the blood from their hands. He suggested that there had also been reports of them removing the skin from the right hand of an enemy and using it to make leather for their quivers. In this new effort, the research team looked for evidence of this last claim.

The researchers used a variety of paleoproteomics techniques to analyze 45 leather samples collected from 14 Scythian dig sites. They were able to identify the source of all of them—all but two were made from horse, cattle, goat or sheep skin. The other two had a human source, confirming what Herodotus had written.

 

 

 

https://phys.org/news/2023-12-analysis-ancient-scythian-leather-samples.html

 

Here is a comprehensive video on the Scythians.

 

 

The women were known for their military skills and tattoos:

 

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by guy

[guy]

Leather fragments from 2,400-year-old Scythian quivers containing samples of human skin. Credit: Marina Daragan.

 

Here’s a good article on the find. The quote by Herodotus on the Scythians is chilling:

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As to war, these are their customs. A Scythian drinks of the blood of the first man whom he has overthrown. He carries to his king the heads of all whom he has slain in the battle; for he receives a share of the booty if he bring a head, but not otherwise.”

“He scalps the head by making a cut round it by the ears, then grasping the scalp and shaking the head out. Then he scrapes out the flesh with the rib of an ox, and kneads the skin with his hands, and having made it supple he keeps it for a napkin, fastening it to the bridle of the horse which he himself rides, and taking pride in it; for he is judged the best man who has most scalps for napkins.”

“Many Scythians even make garments for wear out of these scalps, sewing them together like coats of skin. Many too take off the skin, nails and all, from their dead enemies’ hands, and make thereof coverings for their quivers; it would seem that the human skin is thick and shining, of all skins, one may say, the brightest and whitest. There are many too that flay the skin from the whole body and carry it about on horseback stretched on a wooden frame.”

 

https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/scythian-made-leather-human-skin/

Edited March 20 by guy

[guidoLaMoto]

It looks like modern biker chicks descended from Scythian women....Tattoos were of course a customary practice from the earliest times. Otzti the Bolzano Ice Man had them  5000 yrs ago....Internalizing a vanquished foe by drinking his blood or eating his heart also is more ancient than the Scythians. It was a practice still in vogue among  the Amerindians when first encountered by Europeans.

We moderns should avoid judging the ancients by our own standards of morals and conduct.

Edited March 24 by guidoLaMoto