Kurgan Field

Many peoples in the ancient world buried their dead kings and heroes in elaborate ceremonies, with all the trappings of a warrior to use in the afterlife. It was an accepted thing that a warrior would need horse, armour and sword in the world to come, just as he had in this one. Sometimes a man’s slaves would be killed and buried too, to serve him in the land of the dead. On the steppes, such burials were marked by large mounds, called 'kurgans' arranged along landscape features for many kilometres. The practice seems to have been very ancient indeed, and was used by many people across the steppes. These burial mounds have provided a rich archaeological treasure trove, and a glimpse into the world of the ancient steppes. Judging by the workmanship of many artefacts, these people were far from simple barbarians. Around a fifth of the burial mounds that have been excavated contain the remains of women buried with warrior grave goods, such as weapons and armour. There may well have been a kernel of truth in the Greek legends of the Amazons, a race of warrior women at the edge of the world.