The Bear Cult and Kurgans of the Scythian Elite

• Published in: Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia
• Main Authors: V. I. Gulyaev, В. И. Гуляев
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Russian; English
• Published: IAET SB RAS 2019
• Subjects: поклонение; bear; kurgan; Scythia; image; motif; worship; медведь; курган; Скифия; образ; мотив; Kama; Ursus arctos
• Online Access: https://journal.archaeology.nsc.ru/jour/article/view/762; https://doi.org/10.17746/1563-0110.2019.47.3.085-093

This study, based on artifacts from high-ranking kurgans of the northern Black Sea region (700–300 BC), addresses the little-studied bear motif in Scythian culture and its relevance for the ancient inhabitants of this region and of the adjacent territories. It is a wide-held view that the image of t...