Paleo-proteomic analysis of Iron Age dental calculus provides direct evidence of Scythian reliance on ruminant dairy
Journal: PLoS ONE
Year: 2026

The Scythians, often described as mounted horse-back warriors of the Iron Age steppe with lavish burial goods, have attracted increasing scientific interest over the past years. Recent genetic and multi-isotopic studies have uncovered that the 'Scythians' were neither a homogenous political nor a cultural group, but rather diverse populations of heterogeneous origins with intricate socio-political systems. Although populational differences in agro-pastoral subsistence regimes of Northern Black S