IMAGE OF A WILD BOAR IN THE SCYTHIANS ANIMAL STYLE OF THE NORTHERN PONTIC REGION. INTERNAL EVOLUTION AND EXTERNAL IMPACTS

Abstract

The article deals with relatively rare but important for Scythians animal style repertoire image of a wild boar. The sources of iconography and style of the image are analyzed, as well as his inner evolution and external influences from Central Asia, Near East, Iran and Greece. Full figure image of a wild boar in the Northern Black Sea region in archaic period are very rare unlike Central Asia and Southern Seberia, where these images were quite popular. Nevertheless some typical Asian styled figures (in a «sudden stop» pose or standing «on a hoof tips») are represented in Kuban’ and Dniepr Forrest-Steppe regions. Obviously they connected to Central Asia tradition and may be an evidence of migration process from eastern region to the Northern Black Sea in VII—VI centuries BC. The article notes, that already in archaic period in Scythians burials being discovered artifacts with typical Greek and Middle East images of a wild boar as well as Celtic imports from Central Europe.
 In classical period the situation is changing. A new wild boar image iconography appears: with bent legs. At the current stage of research it’s impossible to unambiguously determine a geographical source of such image: was it Central Asia or Near East. The images with new iconography performed mostly in gold and decorated most often the weapons (bow cases, sword sheaths), ritual and cult items (bowls, rhytons, headdress). At the same time the image of a separate wild boar head appears. It became more popular than full figures and gained wider distribution from the late VI — early V century BC. It being developed in two stylistic directions: laconic, connected with Sauromathian impact and realistic-decorative, as a result of further development of this image by Bosporus artisans.
 The article also deals with semantics of the image. Many researchers associated the image of a wild boar with the embodiments of gods of war and victory — Indo-Iranian Veretragna and Scythians Ares. Author argues that a wild boar could be associated also with a chthonic destructive power and victory over him made the winning warrior a real hero, equal to his «cosmic» rival.
 Two new artefacts with a wild boar images from the territory of Crimea peninsula are introduced into scientific circulation.