Frozen in mid-gallop, with undulating antlers that seem caught in the wind, this intricately carved golden stag plaque displays the impressive workmanship of a people known to history, ironically, as barbarians—the Scythians (seventh century B.C.-first century A.D.) Herodotus, in one of the few written descriptions of the tribe, told of their penchant for scalping their victims and sometimes sewing coats out of the scalps; blinding their slaves; drinking the blood of their victims; practicing human sacrifice and smoking marijuana. Nomads and accomplished equestrians who were among the first to tame horses and wear trousers, the Scythians preferred to chase […]
