Pazyryk Horsemen and Elks

Illustration: Pazyryk saddlecloth depicting an elk.

It is now assumed by many archaeologists that the people, who were initially entitled as Pazyryk, are in fact either Scythian or at least a branch of that culture and people. The Scythians were a nomadic people who used the great plains of central Asia and southern Russia as their extensive homeland. Many different cultures have used the vast steppes of Europe and Asia for past millennia, but they have all shared a particularly common bond, seeing textiles as an important element of their lifestyles, even being seen as one of the main domestic ingredients of their mobile cultures.

Illustration: Pazyryk felt carpet.

Although the artistic and creative element could be somewhat limiting within a constantly mobile culture, this did not stop nomadic people like the Scythians, perfecting an indigenous decorative style that reflected their own interests and that of their culture. Much of the art and design work produced was animal based, with those commonly found on the plains being particularly represented. Horses were the lifeblood and mainstay of the culture and played a vast role in the mobility of various communities. They were represented with and without riders, in ceremonial stances and in the ever-popular hunting scenes. Hunted animals, such as the elk, were also very popular, though the hunted animal itself was never portrayed as an insignificant member of the composition or even as a victim, but as a vital part of the story. These animals had a dignity of their own and were portrayed as a vital and integral part of the Scythian culture, one that was needed as part of the finely tuned structure that allowed that culture to survive. Although the animals are recognisable, there is a relatively free and independent stylised interpretation and appearance. Long gracious curves, movement and detailed borders are particularly popular motifs, which give the animals a decidedly individual appearance rather than that of a standardised motif.

Much of the work was felt-based with a certain amount of embroidery embellishment. Felt was an invaluable textile base that was used throughout the region. It was both insulating and largely waterproof and could be used in a number of colour and texture ranges for anything from heavy domestic use such as tents, flooring and bedding, to various items of clothing, footwear and baby carriers. It was also used for various horse riding equipment such as saddle cloths and bags.

Illustration: Pazyryk carpet detail showing a horseman.

We are extremely lucky to have any felt and other textile pieces remaining from Pazyryk and other areas of the plains of central Asia. They give us an insight into the daily lives, interests and creative ability of a culture that naturally, within their mobile lifestyle, have left little behind them. These images allow us to see these nomadic people as the highly sophisticated cultures that they were, but perhaps more importantly it allows them to show us how comfortable and balanced they were with both their immediate landscape and their place within that landscape.

Further reading links: 
Frozen Tombs of Siberia: The Pazyryk Burials of Iron-Age Horsemen
Pazyryk Burials
The Pazyryk: A 2500 Years Old Knotted Rug Found in an Icegrave in the Altai. Its Use and Origin
In Search of the Immortals: Mummies, Death and the Afterlife
Ancient Horsemen Of Siberia (Time Travelers)
Kurgans: Pazyryk Burials, Kurgan, Noin-Ula Kurgans, Mamayev Kurgan, Merheleva Ridge, Kul-Oba, Thracian Tomb of Aleksandrovo Kurgan, Black Grave
Archaeology of Kazakhstan: Archaeological Sites in Kazakhstan, Kurgans, Pazyryk Burials, Noin-Ula Kurgans, Otrar, Turkestan, Mamayev Kurgan
Costume and Textiles Pazyryks Altai. / Kostyum i textil pazyryktsev Altaya.
The Pazyryk Felt Screen and the Barbarian Captivity of Ts'ai Wen Chi
Warrior Women: An Archaeologist's Search for History's Hidden Heroines
Felt (Textiles That Changed the World)
Spiritual Tattoo: A Cultural History of Tattooing, Piercing, Scarification, Branding, and Implants
The Golden Deer of Eurasia
The Mummies of Urumchi