Historical scholarship has long since focused upon proving the myth of the Amazons, a hyper-militaristic group of Scythian women. However, the realities of Scythian women were likely not confined to this exoticizing, restrictive interpretation. This study argues for a more comprehensive understanding of the realities of Scythian women, arguing that they held positions of considerable social status, and performed roles that were integral to their society. Through the cross examination of the classical accounts of Herodotus, Hippocrates and Pliny with the archaeological sites of Glinoe, Bel’sk, and Mamai-Gora in the Northern Black Sea region, this dissertation argues that women in Scythian society had authority over the household and child-rearing. This was pertinent not only as a means of familial survival, but of wider cultural preservation of Scythian traditions and practices, placing Scythian women in a role of social and cultural authority.
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