Female warrior was buried with legs wide apart 2,400 years ago

An extraordinary 2,400-year-old female warrior was buried in the ‘riding position’ as she journeyed to the afterlife. The burial site was discovered at the Devitsa V ancient necropolis in Russia’s Voronezh region.  The horsewoman, aged between 20 and 35, had her tendons cut after death to allow her legs to be apart as if on a horse, say Russian archaeologists. The 2,400-year-old female warrior was discovered at the Devitsa V ancient necropolis in Russia’s Voronezh region Two spears and a giant bronze hand Lacquer paintings mirror the size of a frying pan were buried near her and she wore a bracelet of precious glass beads round her wrist.

There were also two vessels – an incense burner and a black-lacquered one-handed goblet – by her feet. Three other Amazon warriors were also found alongside her in what has since been deemed ‘a unique discovery’.  Three other Amazon warriors were also found alongside her in what has since been deemed ‘a unique discovery’ One was a matriarch aged between 45 and 50 who was buried wearing her decorative Scythian ceremonial headdress known as a kalaf with amphora-shaped pendants All four females died and were buried at the same time but scientists cannot yet work out why. One was a matriarch aged between 45 and 50 who was buried wearing her decorative Scythian ceremonial headdress known as a kalaf with amphora-shaped pendants.

RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Joint-oldest elm tree in Europe planted in Brighton in the… From headhunting to handicraft: Inside reclusive masked New… Share this article Share It was made of an alloy comprising gold, Gia paintings lacquer paintings silver, copper and a small amount of iron. Next to the older woman’s head was an iron knife wrapped in a piece of cloth and a rare type of iron arrow-head with a forked end. All four females died and were buried at the site at the same time but scientists cannot yet work out why In the burial mound the remains of a much younger female child Amazon warrior were found aged only 12 or 13.

Valery Gulyaev, head of the Donskaya archeological expedition which made the discovery, said: ‘This is the first time that we see a burial of four Amazon warriors together, and of such different ages. ‘We came across a riddle as we see two women in their prime, one teenager, and one woman who was relatively old by Scythian standards. The tombs were partly plundered between 100 and Country lacquer paintings 200 years after the mound was made. Pictured: Part of a tiara found at the site Multiple weaponry in the burials makes clear these females were legendary Amazon warriors, according to researchers ‘How could they all die at the same time? ‘There are no traces of trauma on their bones. ‘Two women whose bones were scattered (by grave robbers) show signs of tuberculosis and Gia paintings lacquer paintings brucellosis on their bones.

‘But these illnesses do not cause simultaneous deaths. ‘Therefore we cannot yet understand the reason of their deaths, and why as many as four women of different ages were buried simultaneously.