Pontic Steppe
Much of the evidence we have about the Scythians comes from the Pontic steppe area north of the Black Sea (spread across present-day Ukraine, Crimea, Russia).
This is the location that Herodotus writes about when he discusses the Scythians in his Histories.
A number of tribes/groups are identified by Herodotus (4.6-25), with varying degrees of Scythian identity applied/attributed to them:
- Olbiopolitae
- Borystheneïtae
- Kallippidae
- Alazones
- “Nomadic” Scythians
- “Royal” Scythians
and further east, Herodotus describes several non-Scythian groups:
- Melanchlaenae (“Black-cloaks”)
- Sauromatae
- Budini, who supposedly had a great wooden city called Gelonus, possibly where Bilsk hillfort is located
- Geloni, who lived among the Budini but were a separate people
- Thyssagetae
- Iyrkae
and, further ease of these, are more Scythians before reaching the land of the Argippeans and then, finally (in terms of what Herodotus can learn), the Issedones. While Herodotus mentions that the Hyperboreans must live beyond the lands of the Issedones, he also notes that no one has any reliable information to provide to him about them (4.32).
To the north of the Pontic Scythians, Herodotus mentions the following (4.100):
- Agathyrsi
- Neuri
- Androphagi
- Melanchlenae (“Black-cloaks”)
Several additional groups are also mentioned (4.102):
- Tauri (south of the Scythians)
- Getae
- Thracians
There are tons of burials from this region. List to be added.