Warriors of Ancient Siberia: Scythian History on Display in British Museum

The 'Scythians: Warriors of Ancient Siberia' exhibition was jointly organized by the British Museum and St. Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum. Photo: A gold clothing applique showing two warriors facing backs.

Besides items provided by the State Hermitage Museum, the exposition will include unique objects from the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology and the Royal Collection. Photo: A gold artifact.

The exhibition will tell the story of the Scythians – groups of formidable warriors that roamed the vast open plains of modern-day Siberia 2,500 years ago and stretched as far as the Black Sea and even the edge of China. Photo: Small gold lions.

Scythians’ encounters with the Greeks, Assyrians and Persians were written into history. Feared and admired, the masters of mounted warfare were forgotten over time until now. Photo: A gold belt plaque.

For centuries all traces of their rich culture was lost, buried beneath the ice. Photo: Gold arrowheads.

Discoveries of ancient tombs have unearthed a wealth of Scythian treasures. Unbelievably well-preserved in the Siberian permafrost, clothes and fabrics, food and weapons, precious jewelry and even mummified remains of warriors and horses are revealing the truth about this civilization’s lifestyle, habits and rituals. Photo: Gold artifacts.

The artifacts will be on view from September 14, 2017 until January 14, 2018. Photo: Gold jewelry.

A woman inspects a golden clothing applique at the British Museum in London, on August 18, 2017, ahead of the 'Scythians: Warriors of ancient Siberia' exhibition.