Scythian Kings’ Golden Funerals

In the 5th century BC, European travelers described a funeral so rich in gold

that it sounded unbelievable. The account comes from Herodotus, a Greek historian

often called the Father of History. While traveling around the Black Sea,

he recorded the burial of Scythian kings. The Scythians were nomadic warriors

who ruled the Eurasian степpe. When a king died, the body was embalmed and carried across

the land. At each stop, rituals were performed. Finally, the king was buried

in a massive mound called a kurgan. Inside, servants, horses,

and guards were sacrificed and buried with him. But what stunned Greek observers