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Description
First out in my miniseries Warrior rabbits of history: a Scythian archer from around the 5th century BC.

The Scythians were nomads that inhabited the areas around the Caspian sea and what is now Ukraine. Like so many other nomads of the Eurasian steppe, horses and horse archery were vital for the Scythians.

They may have been the inspiration for the Greek myth of the Amazons - the tribe of warrior women. Because unlike the ancient Greeks, Scythian women seem to have taken part in war. Many Scythian graves have been excavated, and both men and women have been buried with weapons and armor, and with signs of combat on their skeletons.

Ancient sources also mention Scythians and Amazons in direct connection with each other. They are both often depicted in the same way on paintings: with pants, the characteristic cap and the intricate patterns on their clothes, like this bunny has.

There's also a theory that Scythian archers may have served as something resembling a police force in Athens in the 5th century BC. There is very little evidence for this though. It is mostly based on the playwright Aristophanes. In one of his plays, there's a Scythian archer who cryptically acts very much like a police officer. The archer's lines are also written with a heavy accent, giving us one of few clues as to what the Scythian languages might have sounded like.

More in this series:

Description
First out in my miniseries Warrior rabbits of history: a Scythian archer from around the 5th century BC.

The Scythians were nomads that inhabited the areas around the Caspian sea and what is now Ukraine. Like so many other nomads of the Eurasian steppe, horses and horse archery were vital for the Scythians.

They may have been the inspiration for the Greek myth of the Amazons - the tribe of warrior women. Because unlike the ancient Greeks, Scythian women seem to have taken part in war. Many Scythian graves have been excavated, and both men and women have been buried with weapons and armor, and with signs of combat on their skeletons.

Ancient sources also mention Scythians and Amazons in direct connection with each other. They are both often depicted in the same way on paintings: with pants, the characteristic cap and the intricate patterns on their clothes, like this bunny has.

There's also a theory that Scythian archers may have served as something resembling a police force in Athens in the 5th century BC. There is very little evidence for this though. It is mostly based on the playwright Aristophanes. In one of his plays, there's a Scythian archer who cryptically acts very much like a police officer. The archer's lines are also written with a heavy accent, giving us one of few clues as to what the Scythian languages might have sounded like.

More in this series: