A new study published by Cambridge University Press in the journal Antiquity highlights the discovery of a set of human remains, along with tack and the remains of 18 sacrificed horses, in the ninth-century B.C. (Early Iron Age) Tunnug 1 tomb. The tomb is located in Tuva, in what is now southern Siberia.

‘Sacrificial spectral riders’

The discovery is believed to represent a Scythian funerary ritual that is older than any others previously found. It suggests that the Scythians, a mysterious, nomadic people known for their fascination with horses, may have originated not only earlier than previously believed, but much farther east and south, as well.

The abstract reads as follows:

“Horses began to feature prominently in funerary contexts in southern Siberia in the mid-second millennium BC, yet little is known about the use of these animals prior to the emergence of vibrant horse-riding groups in the first millennium BC.

“Here, the authors present the results of excavations at the late-ninth-century BC tomb of Tunnug 1 in Tuva, where the deposition of the remains of at least 18 horses and one human is reminiscent of sacrificial spectral riders described in fifth-century Scythian funerary rituals by Herodotus. The discovery of items of tack further reveals connections to the earliest horse cultures of Mongolia.”

Boar tusks and antlers

The remains of the horses found to date are said to represent a wide range of ages, with at least 10 of those identified being male.

“Complete and broken bronze snaffle bits and drilled boar tusks make up most of the horse-tack assemblage,” the article reads. “The most common item found near the sacrificed horses are drilled boar tusks and, in some instances, imitation tusks made from antler. The boar tusks show different arrangements of holes that likely relate to their function within the tack.”

‘Diversity of stylistic expression’

“Our investigation of horse bones and tack from the site of Tunnug 1, associated with the earliest Scythian horizon in southern Siberia, suggests that elements of Scythian funerary ritual were already present in this region during the early first millennium BC, and may have derived from earlier antecedents in the Mongolian steppe,” the article continues.

“Typological variability in the tack at Tunnug 1 highlights the diversity of stylistic expression in bridles at this early period. Together, these finds demonstrate the emergence of pan-steppe cultural linkages, showing agreement between geographically dispersed etic written sources and archaeological material.”

As the researchers explained, “Domestic horses helped reshape the ancient cultural landscape of Inner Asia, facilitating the emergence of transcontinental connectivity and early equestrian cultural horizons, including the ‘Scythians’ described in classical texts.”