杏吧原创

Buried treasure, yes, really: the Scythians sent their dead into their chilly grave mounds鈥攐r kurhany, in the great plains to the north of the Black Sea. Bodies lay wrapped in fine leathers and cloths, surrounded by the best for the afterlife: slaughtered horses, servants and goods 鈥攖hough the 鈥渟ervants鈥� may not have been sacrifices, but relatives sharing a family burial vault. The gold gleams in a pair of bracelets finished with wolves鈥� heads or shines in delicate, jangling earrings. It looks soft as butter, stretched into fine wires or beaten into thin foils to decorate clothes and hats, whip handles and quivers. The Scythians flourished between the 5th and 3rd century BC, and translated their profitable grain trading into flamboyance. Scythian Gold is edited by Ellen Reeder and Michael Triestar. Published by Harry N. Abrams, 拢38/$60, ISBN 0810944766.