Civ: Scythians

[Stan`]

2 minutes ago, Nescio said:

No inscriptions - that would imply writing - but engravings. Most likely deer, animals, a

I see, not sure my sculpting skills are up to the task, but maybe we don't need that much details So I could have wannabees animals

[Nescio]

22 minutes ago, stanislas69 said:

I see, not sure my sculpting skills are up to the task, but maybe we don't need that much details So I could have wannabees animals

Not any animal, only Scythian animals A few examples (and please zoom in to enjoy the rich details - Scythians were far more advanced when it comes to metallurgy and jewellery than Greeks or Romans):

Various animals:

A fish:

A stag:

Mythic animals:

An eagle:

A panther:

Horseheads:

Griffins: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Dress_ornament_MET_DT5051.jpg

Boar: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Золото_Скифов.jpg

Two horses: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/23._Scene_of_fight_of_two_horses_Altay_(11-1_B.C.)_Kazakhstan.JPG

Men:

A combat scene:

[Loki1950]

They where one of the first peoples to do lost wax casting which is the technique for almost all the gold work shown here.The other civ was the Indus valley early period.

Enjoy the Choice

[Nescio]

3 hours ago, Loki1950 said:

They where one of the first peoples to do lost wax casting which is the technique for almost all the gold work shown here.The other civ was the Indus valley early period.

Enjoy the Choice

Actually the lost-wax technique was already known and used in various areas of the Near East in the fourth millennium B.C., i.e. thousands of years before the Scythians existed.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Nescio
ce

[Sundiata]

Scythian gold is indeed among the finest of the ancient world. Absolutely beautiful. They were especially fond of the stag (deer) with elongated antlers... Very important symbol for some reason. It was also very similar to Xiongnu gold working, to the point that even experts in the field often struggle to assign artefacts to the right culture (there was some overlap). Even Thracian gold working has some similarities (Sarmatian connection)

The detail on that comb is amazing... That curved back shield... Mmmm...

 

 

More Scythian gold:

Spoiler

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by Sundiata

[Nescio]

9 hours ago, Sundiata said:

It was also very similar to Xiongnu gold working, to the point that even experts in the field often struggle to assign artefacts to the right culture (there was some overlap). Even Thracian gold working has some similarities (Sarmatian connection)

Yes, there were great similarities, often indistinguishable, but that's hardly surprising. Central Eurasia formed a single continuum, there were no real borders; the region was perfectly suited for (semi-)nomadic lifestyle; culture, ethnicity, and language were rather fluid, constantly merged, and were therefore surprisingly homogenous for such an enormous area; steppe peoples rapidly emerged suddenly, replaced each other, and disappeared for centuries.

9 hours ago, Sundiata said:

Scythian gold is indeed among the finest of the ancient world. Absolutely beautiful. They were especially fond of the stag (deer) with elongated antlers... Very important symbol for some reason. 

Hunting was a very important part of their lifestyle and deer were one of the largest and most widespread game. The longer and more complex the antlers, the older the animal, and the more prestigious the kill. Divine stags and hinds also appear in many mythologies. It remained an important symbol up until modern times. Here's a beautiful example from 18th C AD Qing China, combining the Persian taste for lapis lazuli with a Central Eurasian golden deer (the Chinese touch is the flower in its mouth):

Another very significant and frequently recurring symbol is the griffin, typical amongst Iranian peoples.

Now we've seen lots of pure gold, let's finish with an example of Scythian (gilded) wood carving (5th C BC):

[Genava55]

 

 

[Sundiata]

Scythians depicting Scythians in this Electrum vase from the Kul-Oba kurgan, Crimea, 2nd half of 4th century BC. (Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg):

 

Another Scythian golden vessel: 

 

Scythians in Achaemenid Persian relief at Persepolis:

 

Another Greek one

 

Some nice art:

 

And a little mythology: "Last charge of the Amazon's", by zpapageo, showing Penthesiliea's army at Troy. Mmmmm, Bronze Age....

 

 

Edited August 2, 2019 by Sundiata

[Alexandermb]

Enjoy:

Spoiler

 

[Lion.Kanzen]

1 hour ago, Alexandermb said:

Enjoy:

  Hide contents

 

Some glow outer/  inners are missing because is gold but thanks.

Edited September 2, 2019 by Lion.Kanzen

[Alexandermb]

Just now, Lion.Kanzen said:

Some iiners are missing because is gold but thanks.

iiners? what is that?

if i have more free time later after fix everything i'll give a shot to the panther and this one:

Spoiler

 

[Lion.Kanzen]

7 minutes ago, Alexandermb said:

iiners? what is that?

if i have more free time later after fix everything i'll give a shot to the panther and this one:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Resplandor external e interno. Estoy medio dormido.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

Can we find some Hun references/iconography for their civ emblem?

[Lion.Kanzen]

2 hours ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

Can we find some Hun references/iconography for their civ emblem?

Muahahahahaha.

 

[Alexandermb]

@wowgetoffyourcellphone  if you want the scythian brooch with alpha channel background let me know.

[Genava55]

On 9/3/2019 at 3:43 AM, Lion.Kanzen said:

Muahahahahaha.

 

Technically this is something that have been found in the Altai and is dated to the 5th century BC. But it is possible that the Huns liked a similar symbol that evolved among the Germans.  Else, the art of the Avar and of the Hepthalites Huns can be helpful (for the pleasure, admire the Samarkand/Afrosiab Wall paintings).

[Lion.Kanzen]

3 hours ago, Genava55 said:

Technically this is something that have been found in the Altai and is dated to the 5th century BC. But it is possible that the Huns liked a similar symbol that evolved among the Germans.  Else, the art of the Avar and of the Hepthalites Huns can be helpful (for the pleasure, admire the Samarkand/Afrosiab Wall paintings).

Yes but have a nomadic style from late antiquity.

[Genava55]

12 hours ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

Yes but have a nomadic style from late antiquity.

There is little differences between the different nomads in the art. It depends only from which perspective the Huns will be built as a faction. Especially since there is the Xiongnu planned in the mod, a 100% nomadic faction representing the core origin of the Huns. Although the actual Huns in Europe were probably a mixture of people, with a lot of permeability in the side of the nomads as it seen in multiple findings http://www.silkroadfoundation.org/newsletter/vol11/SilkRoad_11_2013_giumliamair.pdf

So if the Huns represents the generic nomads in the beginning of the 4th century AD as reported by Sogdians, then a purely nomadic symbol will make sense. But if the Huns as a faction will be centered on the European Huns from Balamber to Attila and his sons, maybe it will make more sense to use a "bâtard" symbol from cultural transfers.

Edited September 5, 2019 by Genava55

[Lion.Kanzen]

 

[Lion.Kanzen]

Quote

Helmet bronze, all-purpose.
The dome is spherical, asymmetrical.
In the front is a semi-oval neckline for the face with a small ledge in the center.
It is 29 cm high, 23 cm long and 18 cm wide.
On the edge of the facial cut is made a low roller.
On the bottom edge of the helmet (except the facial cut) there are a number of large holes for the barmica or helmet.
On the sides and back sides of the helmet are horizontal three-sided rollers, on the back of the roller is located higher than on the sides. (such rollers are quite common on helmets of the Scythian era of the "Kuban" type).
There are no complete analogues to this
helmet. It looks like helmets of the "Kuban" type of the Scythian era, but differs from them spheraconic form - perhaps repeating the shape of the headdress.

[Genava55]

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by Genava55

[Genava55]

Stunning antler-like horse headpiece with matching breastcollar; Scythian, about 300 BCE, Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia. Steve Harrison.

 

 

Museum piece

[Stan`]

Something like this ?

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

37 minutes ago, Stan` said:

Something like this ?

Love it. I would say square up the footprint a bit (by 1 window on the long side/door side). Making it more like a "great tower." These will have half the health and build time of normal fortresses.  

[Stan`]