Sarmatian Sword from Russia, c.450 BCE: this ancient sword is decorated with gilded images of human warriors, horses, predatory beasts, and other animals
This short-sword (also known as an akinakes) was unearthed during excavations at Filippovka, which is an archaeological site located in the Ural Mountains of Russia. It was created by Sarmatian nomads nearly 2,500 years ago, and it's mostly made of iron, with gold and silver inlay decorating the pommel, hilt, and blade.
Above: a full view of the sword
According to this article:
Narrative compositions unfold on the edges of the blade from its different sides; the hilt is designed with images of a wild boar and poorly preserved images of deer. Both sides of the blade are decorated with complex compositions of walking animals and anthropomorphic scenes. The decorative scheme is a linearly rhythmic composition, complicated by scenes of animal torment as well as anthropomorphic scenes: a horseback rider hunting with a spear in front of a wild boar, the death of a warrior with a sword in his stomach, two warriors sacrificing a deer with swords, and a warrior with an axe swinging at a deer.
The inlay on the blade and hilt of the sword was made using different technologies, so it is possible that not only one master but a team took part in the production of the sword.
Above: some of the details that decorate the blade
This artifact was discovered in a barrow that contained the remains of a 50-55 year old man, along with 200 arrowheads, a spear, and a set of scale armor. The barrow itself was positioned next to a sacrificial area in which several animal skins, the legs of four large predatory quadrupeds, and the skeleton of a predatory bird (possibly a hawk or an eagle) had also been buried.
Many Sarmatian artifacts have been found throughout the larger site complex.
Above: a Sarmatian vessel from Filippovka, c.450 BCE
The Sarmatians were ancient Iranian nomads who dominated the steppes of Eastern Europe from roughly 500 BCE to 300 CE, and they formed part of the larger group of cultures that are sometimes collectively referred to as the Scythian or Scytho-Siberian peoples.
Above: more Sarmatian artifacts from the same site, c. 450-350 BCE
Several Scytho-Siberian artifacts have previously been featured on my blog, including an antlered horse headdress, a 2,300-year-old saddle blanket, a plush bird, and three more headdresses that were originally worn by horses.
Sources & More Info:
Journal of Ancient History and Archeology: Ceremonial Akinakes from Filippovka
American Journal of Archaeology: New Excavations of the Early Nomadic Site at Filippovka (PDF)
Situating Eurasia in Antiquity: Nomadic Material Culture in the First Millennium BCE: Golden Swords of the Early Nomads of Eurasia
Journal of Archaeometry: Silver and Iron Finds from the Early Sarmatian Barrows of Filippovka
Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Golden Deer of Eurasia: Scythian and Sarmatian Treasures from the Russian Steppes
Masters of the Steppe: Griffin Daggers of Eurasia
