Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-12-26
sEPuLchRAL measure
Precious Ornaments Pound In the Tom
OF a Scythisn kim.


Precious Ornaments Pound in the Tomb
OF Scythisn King.
The district OF the western Caucasus
which is traversed by the river Kuban,
writes a correspondent OF the London Times,
is very rich in barrows and sepulchral tu-
multi. The Russian Imperial Archaolog-
ical Commission, under the presidency OF
Count A. Bobrinski, has lately explored
several of these mounds and has made in
them many interesting and important dis
coveries. One mound IN particular throws
much new light upon the manners and Gus
toms OF the ancient Scythians who erected
IL. II lies within a short distance of the lit
tie settlement Of Krymskaia, and Is locally
known as Great kur2gn- The earth re-
moved, the explorers came upon a long
building consisting Of three chambers and
q connecting passage. The length of the
whole is about sixty-seven feet. The walls
are constructed OF massive, well-hewn slabs
Of stone and are covered with stucco, which
in turn is deliberately decorated with fres-
Goes. The floor, also formed of some slabs,
Is laid in cement. The doorway of the first
OF the three chambers is ornamented with a
plain cornice, and the aperture has been
closed by means of slabs of stones The
height Of the room within varied from seven
feet TO eleven feet
This chamber proved to be n perfect treas
ure-house of archaeological relics. In a
corner 10 the right Of the entrance stood
large earthen amphora. Close TO it lay a
silver vessel and small glazed earthen-
ware cup, together with about $50 glass
beads and the remains of a copper ladle. A
few of the beads were evidently Of Egyptian
origin; others we're shaped like the human
head and yet others were medallion-shaped.
One Of these last bore the figure Of a lion;
another the portrait Of a Roman Emperor;
a third the efigy OF a warrior completely
armed with breastplate. helmet. shield and
spear. Near the center OF the chamber
were found some fragments of iron which
had evidently once formed part of large
wheel, the bones Of two horses, and some
rusty remnants OF brides.
But the most interesting objects lay near
the left wall of the chamber. There, with
Its head turned toward the east, was found
the skeleton of a young woman VINO in life
had clearly been person of high rank.
Around her neck was heavy band OF gold
en- hhgree work with pendant ornaments,
and with a central plaque bearing bulls
head. Beside the skull was a thin. triangu-
lar golden plate nearly eight inches broad
and ornamCDted with figures in relief-the
main ornament of the lady's head-dress, for
its angles were each bored with round
holes Near this plate were found sixteen
birds of beaten gold, each about half an
inch high and fifty small, thin gold plaques
decorated with masks, stars and heads of
/ Medusae. Each of these plaques is provided
! with small holes, ana the plates had no
doubt been fastened to the woman's cap.
Beneath the skull lay two gold earrings of
/ fine hligree work and a gold chain, TO one
/ end of which charm, shaped like lions
/ head, was appended. Both arms Of the
| skeleton were encIrcIed by massive brace
/ lets shaped like snakes with horse's heads,
/ and on one finger of the right hand was a
| broad gold ring engraved with figure of
the Muse Erate playing on the Tyre. All
/ these objects were covered with thick
/ layer of SCOT and ashes.
! The second, or central room, was nearly
/ empty. Beyond it short passage led TO
she third and most important chamber.
This was nearly four feet higher than the
others the stones of which it was built
were larger; the stucco was of a better
quality. In it were several vessels of cop
per and some drinking cups of silver, rich
! ly decorated Parallel with the left wall of
| the chamber. with Its head to the east, lay a
skeleton, presumably that OF a Scythian
King. Around the neck was thick golden
! Enclosed hoop which weighs over a
pound. The ends are ornamented
with representations of wild bears
attacked by lions. BY the skull lay a gold
en- plate roughly worked with masks and
stars. This seems to have formed the prin-
cipal ornament of the Kings head-dress.
Nearer the skull were the remains of sill
yer quiver, overlaid with gold. on which
were engraved warriors aud mythical fly
ing figures. This CULVER contained about
fifty slender copper arrows. On the skele-
toms left similar culver with about two
hundred arrows and a much-rusted sword
with a golden hilt together with a cylin.
driCal stone hone, bored with hole, were
found. These, no doubt, originally hung &c
the Kings belt Nearer to the wall were
twelve iron spear points. Near both sl1ele.
tons remains of rotten boards aud nails
We're also discovered. These point to the
likelihood of the bodies having been inclOsed
in collins Of some kind.
No more valuable archaeological discovery
has ever been made in the Kabas district
The contents of the barrow are in all proba-
bility of a date not much later than the
Christian era; and they are so numerou:
and so perfect that they go far toward en-
abling archgologists 10 form tolerably
comprehensive idea Of Scythian arts anC
manners in an age of which little hitherto
has been known. The weight of the COLDER
) objects which have been found exceeds
three pounds The whole Of the relics, tn,
value of which as mere metal is estimated
, at 5000 are to be sent to st. Petersburg.