The Scythian War strategy adopted a cutting-edge recurve bows and a hit-and-run strategy against fixed formations of infantry. From a swift horse, the Scythian warrior was able to unleash a cloud of deadly arrows. Known for his innovative use of scale armor, he also engaged in hand-to-hand combat with shields and swords. It was certainly impressive that the nomadic Scythians who lived between the 7th and 3rd century BCE dominated the grasslands of Central Asia. For personal protection, the Scythians not only wore one-piece greaves to protect their shins, but also specialized scale armors! Onto soft leather corselets, they attached iron plates in overlapping fish-scale fashion using animal tendons. Over time, Scythian warfare also utilized full metal helmets of the Kuban and Corinthian types. As part of their offensive array, battle axes, maces, lances, and spears are found among their grave goods. Some of the lances discovered are around 3 meters (10 ft) in length, and the spears are 1.8 meters (6 ft). However, the Scythian warrior`s most effective weapon was the bow. Made of laminated wood, horns, tendons and glue, it represents the pinnacle of bow technology, copied by subsequent races such as Parthian, Mongols and Turks. These bows are designed with a backward-curved profile to maximize arrow acceleration and long-range accuracy. It was short, so it was perfect for riding a horse and shooting an arrow! Behind the complex Scythian-bow, there was a painstaking process that took up to two years to assemble, cure and dry the same and was a valuable traded prize for selected allies like Greeks. (Info + Image Credit: Scythian_Warfare, worldhistory . org)
Saka and Scythians
