Golden royal pectoral of the ancient Scythians. Golden pectoral - a symbol of the Scythian era Golden royal pectoral of the ancient Scythians

The famous Kiev archaeologist, Boris Mozolevsky, who discovered the famous Scythian cup in the Gaimanova grave, soon made another outstanding discovery.

In February 1971, B.N. Mozolevsky discovered another Scythian mound 10 kilometers from the famous Scythian mound Chertomlyk, not far from Nikopol. While manually drilling a mound, which the locals called Tolstaya Mogila (its height is 9 meters and diameter 70 meters), archaeologist Boris Mozolevsky discovered clay at a depth of 7 meters - this is a sure sign of a Scythian grave.

There was preparation for archaeological excavations: a huge mound had to be cleared of the upper embankment, which is 15,000 cubic meters of earth. Under the removed top layer, archaeologists discovered two tombs in the form of deep catacombs dating back to a later burial.

Archaeologists surrounded the mound with a wide ditch, in which they found traces of a grand funeral funeral feast; there were many animal bones: wild pigs, horses, deer. Estimated from the remains of animals, the weight of the meat eaten during the funeral was approximately 13 tons. If we take into account that the funeral feast of the Scythians lasted several days, then at least 3,000 people took part in the commemoration at Tolstoy’s grave.

First, archaeologists examined the side tomb, in which they first discovered a utility niche with bronze utensils and the remains of sacrificial food, then the burial of a young Scythian queen in rich outfits, in a headdress, clothes and shoes embroidered with large gold plates. The neck of the Scythian queen was decorated with a massive golden hryvnia with seven figures of lions stalking a young deer. The weight of the hryvnia is 478 g. pure gold. The queen's hands are studded with gold rings and three wide gold bracelets, on her temples there are large gold pendants depicting a goddess with her hands raised in prayer, about 600 gold plaques were scattered around.

Next to the “queen” a two-year-old child was buried in a wooden sarcophagus trimmed with alabaster; apparently, he died later than his mother and one entrance was dug for his burial. At the head of the young prince there were three precious miniature silver vessels for drinking wine: a goblet, a kiliki rhyton. In the child’s hand lay a large gold bracelet - a symbol of power. A belt embroidered with gold buttons was placed in a wooden sarcophagus.

The prince's neck was decorated with a gold hryvnia, on the ring finger of his right hand there was a small gold ring, and gold earrings glittered in his ears. All the clothes of the young prince were embroidered with gold plaques.

Ritual gold jewelry was made specifically for funerals; they were used to decorate the clothes of the dead.

Together with the deceased queen and prince, their brutally murdered servants were buried: a servant girl,
a female cook, a warrior-guard and a young charioteer; the attributes corresponding to their occupations were laid out around them.

Archaeologists discovered that the central part, where the Scythian king was buried, was visited by robbers who broke through a 22-meter hole.

Despite the fact that this part of the grave collapsed, the robbers managed to find and take away ceremonial utensils, royal weapons, and jewelry.

And yet the Tolstaya Grave remains the richest of all the known royal Scythian mounds; the total weight of gold jewelry found in it is 4500 grams. gold, this far exceeds the weight of gold found in the Kul-Oba mound, near Kerch (Panticopeia, Bosporan Kingdom).

Near the entrance to the burial chamber, in the dromos (corridor), lay a royal sword with a gold hilt, sheathed in gold relief decorations, with scenes of animal fights in the traditional Scythian “animal style.” Under the crosshairs of the sword they stand in a heraldic pose fighting cocks- this is quite unusual and completely new story in Scythian art.

The bottom row depicts a fantastic griffin tearing apart a deer, a lion and a griffin attacking a horse from both sides, and even lower - a leopard attacking a deer and a duel between a lion and a leopard. All scenes of animal fights are made in the same “animal style”.

On the ledge for hanging the sword from the sword belt there is a depiction of a fantastic horned griffin with a lion's head and a snake's head on its tail. The images of animals are full of dynamics and very realistic, all the smallest details are very clearly worked out.

In the Tolstoy grave, Boris Mozolevsky found an unheard of treasure: royal ceremonial breast decoration - golden pectoral . This is a truly brilliant creation of ancient toreutics (Greek: Toreutikos) - the art of relief processing of artistic metal products. Now this work of art has gained worldwide fame.
The weight of the pectoral is 1150 grams of gold, its diameter is 30.6 cm.

The golden royal pectoral is a symbol of the sun (kolo), consisting of three circles of the world. The first circle depicts the everyday life of the Scythians, the wealth of the Scythians is livestock, the second circle depicts meadow flowers, forest herbs, a dense forest, and the third circle depicts wild animals living in a dense forest.

Golden pectoral- This is a symbol of royal power. By putting on the pectoral, the Scythian king became the center of the solar circle and the world. The self-name of the Scythians, according to Herodotus, is chipped - in this word one can clearly hear the root “kolo” - the sun. “S koloit” may have meant “walking with the sun” or “following the sun,” because the settlement of the Scythian tribes went from east to west, that is, the Scythians always walked “following the sun.”

The pectoral consists of four tubes twisted into a bundle, fastened at the ends with a clasp in the form of lion heads. The entire pectoral is horizontally divided into three tiers, filled with numerous images of people and animals, the middle tier is decorated with flowers and plants.

In the lower tier of the pectoral scenes of animal struggle are depicted, the central part is occupied by griffins tormenting horses, on the sides in the lower tier there are pectorals of a lion and a leopard tormenting a deer and a wild boar, then there is a scene of dogs chasing hares and, finally, in the very corner there are two grasshoppers sitting opposite each other. .

Particularly interesting are the scenes of the peaceful life of the Scythians, depicted in the upper tier. Its discoverer, archaeologist Boris Mozolevsky, called the royal pectoral “an extensive symphony about life in the ideas of Scythian society.”

In the center are two half-naked Scythians holding a sheep's skin and a golden fleece in their hands and having a peaceful conversation. One of them touches the soft sheep's wool with his hand, as if checking its quality, his long hair is tied with a tight leather bandage, which is usually used by artisans while working. The second Scythian holds a sheep's skin and, pointing with his finger, says something.

Their weapons lie nearby, peaceful life flows calmly around: on the right a foal sucks the milk of a mare, next to a piglet, a young Scythian, a teenager milking a sheep, goats grazing in the meadow; on the left are depicted a cow with a calf, a woman with her hair pinned up, holding a sharp-bottomed amphora with milk.

The overall picture of pastoral Scythian life is completed by birds flying in different directions.

It seems as if all the animals are roaming freely in the pectoral space.

What technique did the master use to give volume to all the depicted subjects?

Take a closer look and you will see that the sheep (on the left) does not touch the ground, as if lifted into space, the master attached it to the upper tier behind its back. And the horse, walking freely and scratching its hoof, slightly lowered its head and did not touch the upper tier at all. All the figures are arranged freely and not symmetrically, as in life, occupying the entire space.

The plot depicted on the pectoral is undoubtedly based on real images of Scythians engaged in familiar, everyday activities, surrounded by the natural beauty of flowers and grasses, on which herds of domestic animals graze.

Each miniature sculpture of a golden Scythian pectoral is undoubtedly a masterpiece of unsurpassed skill by a Scythian master from the Northern Black Sea region of the 4th century BC.

The golden royal pectoral made its triumphal march across many continents and countries of the world, causing delight and admiration for all who were lucky enough to admire it.

Currently, the Scythian gold royal pectoral from Tolstoy Mogila is kept in Kyiv, in Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine.

The worst thing is that exactly a year ago, in November 2015, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, by order N884, liquidated the Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine. Museum with the same name in Kyiv no longer exists, despite all the protests of museum workers around the world.

and the golden royal pectoral?

The discovery of the treasury of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was recognized as the largest archaeological discovery of the 20th century. But few people know that in the steppes of Ukraine, in the early 70s, a burial ground was found, which in its significance and wealth is not inferior to the Egyptian heritage. We are talking about excavations of a Scythian mound near Kerch. Great people, which spread its possessions from Eastern Europe to the Asian deserts, left behind many secrets and mysteries. The main artifact of the Scythian tribe was the royal Pectoral...

The steppes of Ukraine, glorified by Gogol, Shevchenko and Bryusov, are full of hills. Here and there you can come across a mound, which is a silent monument to some event. These graves are surrounded by a veil of mystery and superstition. Popular legends say that the Cossacks buried their killed comrades, filling the soil with their own hats. And before them, mounds were erected by tribes that roamed these steppes long before the glorious exploits of the warriors of the Zaporozhye Sich. Nomads came to the banks of the Don back in the 3rd millennium BC. These were tribes of cattle breeders, hunters, and warriors. They learned for the first time the sharpness of copper weapons. They forever inscribed their names in the pages of history. The Cimmerians gave way to the Sklots. The Sklotes left under pressure from the Scythians. And the Scythians founded their great kingdom, in the middle of the “corridor” between Asia and Europe. It was the rulers of Scythia who owned the first mounds, which look like pyramids. The mighty rulers found their final rest in them. Herodotus, who visited ancient Scythia, was amazed by the wealth of this people. He was even more surprised by the pomp and splendor with which the deceased kings were buried. They sent wives, servants, horses, utensils, and sometimes entire caravans with them to the next world. All so that the king appears before his ancestors in a proper form. The Kul-Oba mound, located a few kilometers from Kerch, began to be excavated back in 1830. Already the first layers of the earth were filled to capacity with decorations made by the ancient Greeks. There was gold, silver, magnificent vases. Even earrings with the head of the goddess Athena. The mound was examined for many years. He brought many interesting exhibits that ended up in the storage facilities of Ukrainian museums.

But what Boris Mozolevsky found turned out to be a sensation. As a freelance employee of the Kyiv Institute of Archeology, he enthusiastically took up the excavation of the Tolstaya Mogila mound, which his colleagues had long given up on. They believed that there could be nothing worthwhile there, focusing their attention on the more “promising” southern tombs. The excavation of the mound began by accident. A pile of earth prevented the Dnepropetrovsk mining plant from expanding its production. The law did not allow the mound to simply be demolished, so they asked archaeologists to “quickly excavate it.” In the cold February steppe, under powerful gusts of wind, two dozen romantic historians entered into a confrontation with the mound. For two weeks, Mozolevsky and his comrades woke up at 5 am and dug tirelessly until 4 pm, looking at every piece of land. Seeing the torment of the archaeologists, the director of the plant, Grigory Seredy, took pity and allocated a bulldozer. Work has become easier.

Suddenly, on the southern slope, scientists came across an amazingly beautiful chariot, which was decorated with bronze plates and hung with bells. Every inch of the cart was covered with patterns. The institute realized that the mound was worth the effort and allocated an additional detachment. The further they delved into the soil, the more ancient riches they found. They escaped the fate of the tomb robbers. The heir to the Scythian throne was buried in this place. He lay in an amazingly beautiful alabaster sarcophagus. His body was covered with jewelry. Nearby was the grave of the mother, who rested in a luxurious golden dress embroidered with animal faces. Around her neck she wore a massive gold hoop in the shape of a lion's mane. Even experienced archaeologists did not expect such finds. Finally the time came for the main chamber, where the king rested. But looters had already been there. The scientists were sadly wrapping up their work when Mozolevsky suddenly looked at the clay floor and noticed a hiding place. With all possible care, he moved the slab and... “On June 21, 1971, at 14:30, near the city of Ordzhonikidze, Dnepropetrovsk region, Boris Mozolevsky found a golden pectoral - a breast decoration of a Scythian king of the 4th century BC - weighing 1150 grams, 30.6 cm in diameter, made of 958 gold."

You can find this phrase in any archeology textbook. It was a wonderful work of art that came from the hand of a Greek master. Nothing like this had ever been found on the territory of Ukraine before. The pectoral consisted of four hollow tubes, gracefully intertwined. They formed a kind of frame. Each pipe was crowned with the head of a small lion, which clutched a ring in its mouth. Laces were passed through them. On them, the decoration was hung around the neck of the king. The pectoral had three tiers, which reflected the ancient Scythians’ idea of the structure of the Universe. The lower tier is a battle of fantastic wild animals - the world of the elements, wild nature, the world of the underground kingdom, where the roots of the tree come from, and where everything sooner or later leads. Middle tier - blue flowers, birds - the world of the living. Above was the life of nomads. Their life, their exploits and simple deeds.

Of course, the pectoral was a magical and religious symbol that was worshiped by nomads. But the meaning of the pectoral has not been revealed to this day. The author of this majestic jewelry miracle is an ancient Hellene, a descendant of the Greeks of the Mediterranean. He was a real Master, he handled not only metal perfectly, but also knew perfectly well the beliefs and customs of the Scythians. Presumably the people depicted on the pectoral had real prototypes. Maybe among them there are customers of this miracle. Now it is kept in the Kiev Museum of Historical Antiquities of Ukraine. There is also a copy installed in Donetsk on Theater Square. It is included in the Scythian composition. And to this day, an exact copy of the pectoral from the Tolstaya Mogila mound is used as the highest theater award in Ukraine. The name of Boris Mozolevsky is forever inscribed in the history of archeology. He became a candidate of historical sciences and taught at his native institute until the end of his life.

The golden royal pectoral of the ancient Scythians is included in all catalogs and reference books in the world, and is called the great archaeological find of the 20th century. It is a recognized masterpiece of world art. The insured value is about 2 million dollars.This is a truly brilliant creation of ancient toreutics (Greek: Toreutikos) - the art of relief processing of artistic metal products.

The golden pectoral of the ancient Scythians was found by Boris Mozolevsky on June 21, 1971 in the Tolstaya Mogila mound (Dnepropetrovsk region).

Since then, the miracle accessory has haunted both casual onlookers and professional researchers. IN lately In scientific circles, a version has emerged that the pectoral is, first of all, an encrypted message from the ancient Scythians, made in the form of a beautiful decoration.

The golden pectoral is a symbol of royal power. By putting on the pectoral, the Scythian king became the center of the solar circle and the world. The self-name of the Scythians, according to Herodotus, is chipped - in this word one can clearly hear the root “kolo” - the sun. “S koloit” may have meant “walking with the sun” or “following the sun,” because the settlement of the Scythian tribes went from east to west, that is, the Scythians always walked “following the sun.”

What do these intricate figures on the pectoral mean?

In total, there are 3 main versions of the interpretation of the structure of this decoration: “Model of the Universe”, “Map of the Scythian Domains” and “Calendar”.
According to the first version, the pectoral personified the structure of the Universe as the Scythians saw it.

According to the second theory, the pectorals could depict a symbolic map of the possessions of the ancient Scythians, which could only be read by specially trained people - kings, priests, military leaders.

According to the third version, the pectoral was the ancient Scythian calendar. The Scythians were pagans, so every day, month, year, indictment, etc. there were their own time deities in the form of domestic animals, which were located in a circle on the pectoral. Also, the pectoral is also a completely accurate astronomical instrument - an ancient sundial. The secret of the pectoral calendar was known only to kings and priests, and representatives of the elite of Scythian society, which helped them, on the basis of knowledge, manage their people.

What does the second tier of the pectoral say?

He is completely occupied with flowers. This motif was fixed in the pectoral for a reason. The fact is that this is an encrypted recipe for an ancient and very healing balm made from flowers and roots. It was widely used in Scythian medicine, especially during times of hostilities, the Scythians widely used medicinal herbs. Its main component was the Maeotian root, or mandrake. Archaeologist Mozolevsky assumed that this was a Greek toka plant. Unfortunately, it is impossible to fully understand this recipe, because it is difficult to determine the name of the flower from the golden image.

In the center of the pectoral there are two male figures (presumably the Scythian kings Pal and Hap) holding an aegis skin (in fact, it is not just a skin, but a map). They sit in a pose typical of steppe dwellers.

Looking at this skin-map in a direct projection, you can see the outlines of Crimea, the right and left banks of the Black Sea. This “map” is conditional. Each item on it depicts a certain territory captured by the Scythians.

The upper tier of the pectoral depicts a string of animals walking in different directions. It turned out that each of these figures shows a certain day of the Scythian month.
There is another interesting plot - a leopard watches a lion torment a wild boar. The lion is the Scythian, the boar is Africa, and the leopard is Assyria. With high magnification, you can see the famous Egyptian pyramids here. They are on the boar's head. This miniature depicts a siege Ancient Egypt Scythians in the 7th century BC. and is therefore the first map of Africa. Some trophies from these campaigns (in the form of jewelry, rings with the seals of the pharaohs, etc.) ended up in the collection of the Museum of Jewels along with Scythian gold.

The coast of the Azov Sea is under the wing of the Firebird. This miracle bird was among the Scythians a symbol of the Greek goddess Hera, the wife of Zeus. It showed the place of residence of the royal Scythians in the Northern Black Sea region. In addition, the right wing of the Firebird indicates the location of the Scythian necropolis. Another similar bird “flies” towards the Firebird, but this time it is a drake, which covers the territory of Turkey and Istanbul. There are many figures there and each of them has its own symbolic meaning.

The Scythian calendar is directly related to astrology. Unlike the Chinese twelve-year cycle, the Scythian Zodiac calendar has a sixteen-year cycle. It begins with the year of the Firebird (duck). By the way, the third millennium will begin precisely with the year of the Firebird - the bird of happiness. It is followed by the years of the Goat, Goat, Ram, Cow, Taurus, Horse, Horse, Mare, Stallion, etc.

The Golden Pectoral is a masterpiece of ancient masters. The complexity of the interweaving of the figures and their angles speak of the highest level of their skill. Its extraordinary beauty and exceptional value testify to the power of the Scythian kingdom. Archaeologists associate the treasures of the Tolstaya Mogila mound with the times of King Atey of Scythia.

The author of the golden miracle could be a Black Sea Hellene - a descendant of settlers from the Mediterranean who settled on the shores of the Pontus Euxine in the 7th-6th centuries. BC However, some researchers believe that he could also be an ethnic Scythian (after all, the master knew Scythian mythology, Scythian customs and rituals perfectly), but, undoubtedly, he lived and studied for a long time in Panticapaeum - the capital of the jewelry craft of the northern Black Sea region. He had an excellent command of all the subtleties of antiquity jewelry art.

This lovely women's “trinket” weighs 1 kilogram 200 grams of pure gold and contains about 100 different figures that are made with great skill. Its diameter is 30.6 centimeters. Approximately, it was made somewhere in the 5th century BC. e. and, most likely, she was not the only one. Perhaps the first owner of the pectoral was a Scythian princess. Over its centuries-old history, this priceless relic has survived hundreds of owners and visited many places. Because of her they killed, robbed, betrayed.
The golden pectoral of the ancient Scythians was found by Boris Mozolevsky on June 21, 1971 in the Tolstaya Mogila mound (Dnepropetrovsk region).

It is very similar to the Scythian pectoral from the Kul-Oba mound, near Kerch.

Since then, the miracle accessory has haunted both casual onlookers and professional researchers. Recently, a version has appeared in scientific circles that the pectoral is, first of all, an encrypted message from the ancient Scythians, made in the form of a beautiful decoration.

What do these intricate figures on the pectoral mean?
In total, there are 3 main versions of the interpretation of the structure of this decoration: “Model of the Universe”, “Map of the Scythian Domains” and “Calendar”.
According to the first version, the pectoral personified the structure of the Universe as the Scythians saw it.

He is completely occupied with flowers. This motif was fixed in the pectoral for a reason. The fact is that this is an encrypted recipe for an ancient and very healing balm made from flowers and roots. It was widely used in Scythian medicine, especially during times of hostilities, the Scythians made extensive use of medicinal herbs. Its main component was the Maeotian root, or mandrake. Archaeologist Mozolevsky assumed that this was a Greek toka plant. Unfortunately, it is impossible to fully understand this recipe, because it is difficult to determine the name of the flower from the golden image.

In the center of the pectoral there are two male figures (presumably these are Scythian
kings Pal and Nap), who hold the aegis skin (in fact, it is not just a skin, but a card). They sit in a pose typical of steppe dwellers. Looking at this skin-map in a direct projection, you can see the outlines of Crimea, the right and left banks of the Black Sea. This “map” is conditional. Each item on it depicts a certain territory captured by the Scythians.
The upper tier of the pectoral depicts a string of animals walking in different directions. It turned out that each of these figures shows a certain day of the Scythian month.
There is another interesting plot - a leopard watches a lion torment a wild boar. The lion is the Scythian, the boar is Africa, and the leopard is Assyria. With high magnification, you can see the famous Egyptian pyramids here. They are on the boar's head. This miniature depicts the siege of Ancient Egypt by the Scythians in the 7th century BC. and is therefore the first map of Africa. Some trophies from these campaigns (in the form of jewelry, rings with the seals of the pharaohs, etc.) ended up in the collection of the Museum of Jewels along with Scythian gold.
The southern part of Ukraine, or rather the coast of the Azov Sea, is under the wing of the Firebird. This miracle bird was among the Scythians a symbol of the Greek goddess Hera, the wife of Zeus. It showed the place of residence of the royal Scythians in the Northern Black Sea region. In addition, the right wing of the Firebird indicates the location of the Scythian necropolis. Another similar bird “flies” towards the Firebird, but this time it is a drake, which covers the territory of Turkey and Istanbul. There are many figures there and each of them has its own symbolic meaning.
The Scythian calendar is directly related to astrology. Unlike the Chinese twelve-year cycle, the Scythian Zodiac calendar has a sixteen-year cycle. It begins with the year of the Firebird (duck). By the way, the third millennium will begin precisely with the year of the Firebird - the bird of happiness. It is followed by the years of the Goat, Goat, Ram, Cow, Taurus, Horse, Horse, Mare, Stallion, etc.
That's how much interesting information contains a simple feminine decoration.

The golden pectoral is the gold of the Scythians!

The golden Scythian pectoral was found in 1971 by Boris Mozolevsky, a Kyiv scientist in a Scythian mound not far from the city of Ordzhonikidze, Dnepropetrovsk region. It is now one of the most valuable Ukrainian archaeological sites, estimated to be worth more than $2 million. And its value is not only that it weighs about one and a half kilograms of gold, but that it carries a certain encrypted meaning from the Scythians and dates back to the 5th century BC. Now she is in Kyiv - in the city historical museum, under great security, but nevertheless anyone can see it in a small glass box by visiting the museum. The entrance to the museum is almost symbolic.

The golden pectoral is a Scythian decoration that was made for a Scythian king or queen. Throughout the world, this excavation is one of the most valuable excavations of the 20th century, and scientists around the world are trying to unravel it. Some see the excavation as a calendar, others as a message from the Scythians to future generations, and still others see it as a map. The golden pectoral consists of a hundred different figures, each of which means something. These are mostly animal figures, but upon closer inspection, even Egyptian pyramids were discovered on the forehead of one of the bulls. Scientists are amazed by the precision and skill with which the golden pectoral was made back in the 5th century BC.

Golden pectoral - decoration of the Scythians

The Scythians were a powerful and formidable people who inhabited many modern countries in Europe and Asia; there were also nomadic Scythians. It is believed that there were indigenous Scythians in Crimea, and that there was the capital of the Scythian state. Quite recently, excavations began in Crimea near the Ak-Kaya rock, where, by all indications, there was a Scythian settlement. Some archaeologists believe that this was the capital of the Scythian state.
Thanks to the unusual method of burial among the Scythian people, many archaeological treasures of the Scythians have survived to this day. They buried respected people in mounds, leaving gold, jewelry and weapons of the deceased there. For a long time, scientists did not know what exactly these mounds represented. Either they were used somehow in war, or for agriculture. But when scientists found a golden pectoral in the Dnepropetrovsk region, it became clear that Scythians were buried in the mounds. Many mounds were excavated by the then government, and to this day no one knows the total amount of archaeological treasures that were there. But most of the valuables from the official excavations ended up in museums. Many mounds were plundered by black archaeologists. Even now there are many mounds in the territories of steppe Ukraine, in the Kherson and Dnepropetrovsk regions. All have already been officially held archaeological excavations, but still black archaeologists continue their work and excavate the mounds again, hoping to find the treasure of the Scythians. Many people are still haunted by the golden pectoral, which was so easily found near an ordinary small town in the Dnepropetrovsk region. This mound is now called Tolstaya Mogila, and the man who found it became famous throughout the world, this is Boris Mozolevsky. But the path to this mound was suggested to him by ordinary peasants, when, while cultivating a field, they found several Scythian coins and told archaeologists about it. Mozolevsky received many honors and even an apartment in Kyiv for this find. It was so highly appreciated because the Tolstaya Mogila mound was excavated more than once, back in ancient times, many passages were dug there, and at the same time the scientist managed to find this masterpiece of the jewelry art of the ancient Scythians.