Labels: text | screenshot | font OCR: SCYTHIAN GOLD LION N TOW IN THE HERMITAGE MUSEUM in St. Petersburg, Russia, this beautifully wrought golden relief was made by wandering Scythian tribesmen in about 800 BC. The Scythian people occupied the immense plains that extend from western Russia to the borders of China throughout the last thousand years BC. The area was rich in many forms of animal life, and Scythian craftsmen made wonderfully realistic creatures in metal, and also in textiles. This gold ornament shows a lion in mortal combat with a fantastic wolf. Objects like this were deposited in the graves of the Scythian chiefs, and excavations at several burial mounds in the Russian steppes have revealed a wealth of such treasures. SEE ALSO
