SARMATIAN
WOMEN WARRIOR TOMB
Russian
archaeologists have unearthed a trove of remarkable significance:
the tomb of a Sarmatian noble woman warrior who worshiped fire.
The female fighter was a Sarmatian, a people who worshipped fire
and whose prominent role in warfare was seen as an inspiration for
the Amazons of Greek mythology. A gem with a single-line Phoenician
or early Aramaic inscription was found buried with her, placed on
her chest. At her feet there were fragments of a bronze bucket with
floral ornaments (pictured) and the image of the Gorgon’s
head on a stick. In the north-eastern part of the grave were located
four ceramic vessels.
The
tomb was found with more than 100 arrowheads, a horse harness, a
collection of knives and a sword, which all attest she was a warrior.
Alongside, they also found a gem with inscription in Aramaic, as
well as both gold and silver jewelry, which indicate a high status.
![](SarmatianFemaleWarrior.jpg)
Sarmatian
female warrior (Source: Imgur). Her attire and equipment are virtually
identical with fellow Iranian peoples of the period
The
Sarmatians were nomadic people who flourished from about the 5th
century BCE to the 4th century CE in parts of today’s Iran
and Russia, and at one point, up to Ukraine and Moldova. The Sarmatians
differed from the Scythians in their veneration of the god of fire
rather than god of nature, and women’s prominent role in warfare,
which possibly served as the inspiration for the Amazons.
However,
unlike the mythological Amazons, the real life Sarmatian Amazons
had nothing against men – they fought side by side men and
often got married, as is the case here. The woman was buried with
someone else, likely her husband, but his tomb was looted, revealed
experts from the Institute of Archaeology, of the Russian Academy
of Sciences. Around them, 29 other burial mounds were discovered
during the construction of a new airport serving Rostov-on-Don.
![](AmazonAchaemenids.jpg)
A
reconstruction of a female Achaemenid cavalry unit by Shapur Suren-Pahlav
Unfortunately,
most of them were already pillaged. Archaeologist Roman Mimokhod
said :
“Most
of the burials on this site are plundered and, of course, it is
great luck to find an intact one. It is interesting that there are
two burials in this mound. One obviously belonged to man and was
totally looted. We believe that it was a double burial of some noble
Sarmatian and his wife.”
According
to initial analysis of the Sarmatian female warrior’s teeth,
she lived to a very respectable age, which certainly meant surviving
some harsh battles. The results of more detailed analysis will be
announced soon. Archaeologists added:
‘The
depth of the tomb is [13 feet] four metres and it was covered with
a wooden decking. At the edge of the grave pit were found the remains
of a harness and more than 100 iron arrowheads. According to ancient
historians, Sarmatian women participated in hostilities and this
find of arrowheads is indirect confirmation of this.’
![](ScythianFemaleHorseArcher.jpg)
Female
Scythian horse archer (Source: Osinform)
The
Sarmatians who succeeded the Scythians on the steppes and the Ukraine
region were similar to their cousins in Persia where Romans made
references to female fighters in the Sassanian army for example.
Weapons have also found to be buried in the graves of Parthian females
in northern Iran – for more see:
Farrokh,
K., & Karamian, Gh. (2018). Weapons in the tombs of Parthian
Era Women in Northern Iran: A Preliminary Report. Fezana Journal
(Publication of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North
America), Vol. 32, No.3, Fall/September, pp. 18-21. – For
more on the weapons found in the graves of Parthian women fighters
in the graves at Vestmin consult pages 67-68 in: Karamian, Gh.,
Farrokh, K., Kiapi, M.F., Nemati, H. (2018). Graves, crypts and
Parthian weapons excavated from the gravesites of Vestemin. HISTORIA
I SWIAT, No.7, pp. 35-70.
The association of both jewelry and battle items is intriguing.
This means that the woman was a warrior of high status – the
wife of a warchief, or a warchief herself. Mimokhod noted:
‘The
collar of her dress was decorated with stamped buckles of gold leaf
in the form of a stylised ram’s head … Her sleeves were
embroidered with colourful beads combined with gold triangular and
hemispherical plaques. On each hand – a gold bracelet. On
her breasts were various beads, among which was a gem with a single-line
Phoenician or early Aramaic inscription. At her pelvis lay a gold
vial. … This had a tight lid and its contents are fossilised.
We will analyse this to understand what it was, but most likely
it contained some incense. By her right hand were fragments of wooden
dishes and a cup. At her feet there were fragments of a bronze bucket
(ladle) with floral ornaments and the image of the Gorgon’s
head on a stick. In the north-eastern part of the grave were located
four ceramic vessels.’
To
make things even more interesting, a collection of knives and a
sword was hidden inside the tomb, and all these items belonged to
different times: from the first century BCE to the first century
CE, they spanned for maybe 200 years. This means that the items
were likely passed down from generation to generation, until they
were finally buried with her. It’s a rather unique and surprising
aspect which adds even more value to the discovery.
![](Lurfemalesharpshooter.jpg)
Iranian
Tribal Women in Shooting and Horseback Riding Competitions
Lur
woman in a local competition in Luristan province in Western Iran,
partaking in a shooting contest on horseback (Source: Wisgoon.com).
Many of the traditions of the Amazon warrior women continue to endure
among the nomadic peoples of Iran.
Source
:
http://kavehfarrokh.com/
military-history-1900-present/
spectacular-tomb-of-sarmatian-
warrior-woman-found-in-russia/