Warrior Women: The real people behind the myth of the Amazons

From Nine to Noon 10 March 2015

The myth of the Amazons is a tale of fierce tribes of strange warrior women fighting Ancient Greek heroes in far away lands, but were they more than a legend?

Adrienne Mayor has written a book The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World. In it she lays out the archaeological, historical and DNA evidence which she says prove Amazons were really a people known as the Scythians, nomadic horse archers who roamed everywhere from the borders of China to Southern Siberia to the shores of the Black Sea.

She argues in Scythian culture men and women were equals both in peace and war, a notion that was so shocking to the male-dominated society of ancient Greece that they achieved mythic status.

Ancient Amazon clay doll from a young girls' grave in the Louvre. Photo by Adrienne Mayor

Ancient Amazon clay doll from a young girls' grave in the Louvre. Photo by Adrienne Mayor

Battle injuries on the ribs and skull of two Scythian women buried with weapons. The skull wounds were made by Scythian pointed battle axe, like those shown in ancient Greek vase paintings of Amazons. Collage by Michele Angel

Grave of young Scythian woman buried with her sword and arrowheads, Pokrova, Kazakhstan. Photo by James Vedder

Tattoos on female Scythian mummies, Pazyryk culture, Altai Region

The images in this gallery are used with permission and are subject to copyright conditions.