#historyedit

"The burials of the Scythian female warriors were not part of isolated group or individual burials, they were dispersed among male burials. Number of female burials with weapons in cemeteries was rather uneven. In some cemeteries such burials were represented by whole groups (cemetery near Lyubimovka village, cemetery of Chertomlyk, cemetery near Zelenoje village, cemetery Mamay-Gora, Skelki cemetery, Elizavetovsky cemetery). In several groups there were from one to three burials, in others they were absent.

The most representative series of graves was discovered in the largest cemetery in the north Pontic area – Mamay-Gora. Among the 317 Scythian burials 12 belong to the Amazons. Given the fact that the cemetery studied 110 male and 135 female burials, we can conclude that every tenth soldier was a woman. At the same time, every 11-th woman had a weapon and performed military service. Skelki cemetery, located on the bank of the Kakhovka water reservoir, is one of the largest necropolises without mounds of the Lower Dnieper area in the Scythian times. Fifty-three Scythian graves were investigated there. Almost a half of the women (11) were armed. Moreover there was a little girl buried with weapons. There were 22 warriors that were buried in the cemetery, consequently every second soldier was a woman and every third woman carried weapons. Among the investigated necropolises of Steppe Scythia the highest percentage of the Amazons graves was registered in the cemetery of Skelki. At the same time in the Don region, 147 burial complexes with armaments were excavated in Elizavetovskoe cemetery. And 35 belong to the Amazons. (...)

Despite of the numerous facts, that seem obvious, the question of the direct participation of the Scythian women in combat is still open. The most compelling argument is the existence of wounds on the Amazons` bodies. The analysis of anthropological materials showed that the women had the injuries of the "military" character. There are three types of injuries: 1 – the wounds made with arrows; 2 – loss or fractures of the extremities; 3 – chopped wounds on the skull and extremities. Thus the first type of the injuries (the wounds from arrows) is presented by three options: the damage of the bone tissue; the penetrating wound of the skull or the soft tissue damage. The burial complexes of the Scythian Amazons show that their injuries are quite diverse and therefore they have been obtained in different conditions. Quite important is the fact that these graves are fixed in the different regions of Scythia and indirectly point out the probable places of the armed clashes. Amazon graves with the traces of wounds are as well known in the Asian part of Scythia. Sarmatian women also had them.

Thus, in the issue of the excavations in various regions of the European Scythia it became obvious that there were women among the nomads, who clearly were not only caring weapons just as men (and along with them), but also took part in the military conflicts. It is due to the participation in the conflicts that these women were buried in accordance with the traditional funeral rites of Scythian warriors – following the same rituals with the same honors and, most importantly, with a personal weapon. (...)

And yet we may consider “amazonship” as the general-historical phenomenon. In any society where men are involved in armed conflicts, women should defend their home, family (children and old people), herds. Thus, while some women were involved in defending, others took part in fighting equally with men. It is typical for many nations actually in the course of the entire history of mankind."

The ROMAN THEATRE OF ORANGE (Vaucluse, France) is the best preserved Roman theatre in Europe.

☽ QUEEN ALEXANDRA AND HER SISTER EMPRESS MARIA FEODOROVNA ☾

I used to try to attach myself to my Aunt Alix after dinner, for of all the relations she was my favourite, perhaps because she was the most beautiful person in my small world. Even after all these years I remember her as I saw her then, the grace of her every movement, the sweetness of her smile. No woman ever possessed to greater degree that inde-finable quality known as charm. That, combined with beauty, will turn anyone's head, unless they be made of stone. Everyone who knew her came under its spell, grown-ups as well as children, for she could talk to either with equal fascination. She was very witty, brilliant in repartee and a wonderful mimic, yet her wit was never cruel.

Aunt Minnie, the Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia, was a smaller and less beautiful edition of her sister; she had the same charm, the same tact, but had more strength of character. Although she was small she could enter a room so majestically that everyone would stop talking and turn to look at her. She was a great smoker, but wanted no one to know it but the family, so if anyone else entered the room she would immediately hide her cigarette behind her back. | Prince Christopher of Greece

Young, lively and full of joie de vivre... the sisters set each other off and became the centre of a glittering crowd wherever they went. | Louisa, Countess of Antrim