««CITIES» OF NOMADIC SCYTHIANS

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to describe the means of transportation used by nomadic peoples in the Northern Black Sea area. To this end, a series of observations was carried out to investigate traditions of constructing dwellings, which are maximally adjusted to the nomadic life conditions. Following a review of numerous publications, the author comes to the conclusion that the transition to a nomadic lifestyle and extensive cattle breeding was impossible without a number of technical achievements: perfectly developed riding horse reins, widespread iron implementation and, consequently, the emergence of high-tech and robust weapons. A tilt cart covered with felt became such kind of a nomadic dwelling. It is likely that, along with tilt carts, Scythians used removable yurts (nomadic tents) installed on a platform basis. When camping, these yurts could have resembled a real town from a distance. An analysis of the design of 4th century B.C. Scythian catacombs suggested that these burial chambers recreated nomads’ habitual dwellings - tilt carts, where a nomad lived his whole life from birth to death. In this case, the hemispherical shape of Scythian mounds could represent a yurt, another dwelling of cattle breeders.