Content:
During the Early Iron Age, the Northern Black Sea region was a unique contact zone between nomads, constantly moving along the Great Steppe following the sun, and Greek navigators, who expanded the borders of the ecumene and settled local sea coasts. The warlike tribes of the Scythians created a state entity on this territory, leaving behind the most vivid trace.
Combat injuries, as a manifestation of the military character of Scythian regular life, are recorded in human remains. Most often the wounds were inflicted by arrows. However, recorded cases of an arrow injury to the skull are rare. A Scythian warrior who survived such injury, and maybe fought many battles after, is unique. The skeleton of the 40-45 years old male comes from the burial of the 4th century BCE at the "Kanfarka" cemetery. The man belongs to the local sharply dolichocranic and broad faced Caucasoid group. He was wounded in the parietal bone, the arrowhead was broken off, and only its fragment point remained in the skull. The latter did not damage the brain but caused a small subdural hematoma. Despite the possible neurological problems caused by trauma to the skull, the warrior did not stop his physical activity. This is evidenced by traces of later injuries and pathologies on his skeleton.
The cemetery is located on Khortytsia — the largest island of the Dnipro River. The peculiarities of the burial construction, custom, and burial place give the case uniqueness. The island was one of the few places of convenient crossing between the banks of Dnipro, it was located at the end of the waterway that connected the deep steppe regions with the Black Sea and the Greek colonies. It was situated at busy crossroads of trade and nomadic routes and had significant strategic importance.
Keywords:
Early Iron Age, Northern Black Sea region, Scythian Warrior, Arrow wounds, Skull traumas, Khortytsia