Textiles, dyes and pigments of the European Scythians: preliminary analyses of materials from southern Ukraine

Leather, felt and textiles which have survived in Scythian burials from southern Ukraine provide a rich source of information about the materials and techniques used by the Scythians for the construction of their clothing and other practical objects. Furthermore, traces of pigment indicate that these items were colourful, providing information that cannot be gained from representational artwork. This paper presents preliminary results of the analysis of a selection of textile and leather fragments preserved in Scythian burials across southern Ukraine. The results are placed in the wider context of European and Eurasian textile and dye cultures of the 1st millennium BC.