|
Page 4 of 4 Because of the lack of solid, physical evidence, some experts, like Dr. Farid Alakbarli (Doctoral in Historical Sciences from Azerbaijan), suggest that the Greeks and Romans had mistaken the Amazons for a tribe of egalitarian peoples who had both male and female warriors. They may have seen one all-female company and thought they were on their own instead of part of the whole army, not being able to conceive of the idea of equality. Farid Alakbarli states:
Plutarch writes that Amazons helped Albanians to fight against the Romans. The Albanian king would ask help from the neighboring Saka tribes and sent their cavalry - both men and women on horseback - to fight against Romans. It may be that the men and women of Saka were divided into different detachments. Perhaps, the Romans saw troops that were comprised only of women. It's only natural that when the Romans saw armed women on horseback, they were surprised and concluded that they had met the real Amazon tribes. Perhaps this is why they describe the Saka men warriors as Scythians, and Saka women warriors as Amazons.
The Saka and Scythian, as well as Sauomatian, tribes were caucasoids (light skin and hair color with blue to grey eye color) who lived from ca. the 8th and 7th to 3rd centuries B.C. They are known to have had both male and female warriors and, especially the Saka and Sauomatians, had matriarchal tendencies. The tribes who came after them were the Sarmatians, the Kipchiks, the turkic Oghuz and the Seljuks. The decendants of the latter three were the Mongolians, also a fierce tribe with warriors of both sexes, although now they are quite peaceful herders and farmers. Recently, a study was done on the Mongolians where a blond haired, blue eyed girl born to black haired, asian looking parents was tested. Her DNA could be traced straight back to the Sauromations.
Another theory is that, because there have been found many graves containing female skeletons buried with weapons together with other graves containing men without weapons, these men may have been servants. The fact is that there has not been any archeological survey producing only women. In some areas the men have been buried with children while the women are buried with weapons and artifacts used in spiritual rituals. Up until 10 to 15 years ago, when a skeleton was found with weapons it was assumed to be a male. It was not until Jeannine Davis-Kimball questioned this practice that it changed. Now, more light is being shed on present-day findings, as well as past findings, as archeologists restudy their evidence and rethink their theories. Suddenly, there is quite a bit of evidence to support the concept, the legend, the myth of the Amazons.
Thus, we come ever closer to the truth at the core of this great mystery. I believe they are both myth and real. The meaning of the name, Amazons, has changed though. Now it has come to mean “any strong woman with a meaning of her own.” There are cults and movements starting up based on these man-hating, horse loving, warring and frightening women. The first feminists.
Yet, perhaps they weren’t actually feminists. Perhaps they were part of a tribe in which equality was not an issue. In ancient times it was all about survival and working together. In examining the skeletons of the many burial sites containing women warriors, archeologists can see that they do not all show signs of battle and hunting. Rather there is a lot of evidence that the nomads had cattle and weren’t necessarily hunters. So, riding and fighting goes along with protecting the herds and territory. In observing modern Mongolians, scientists like Davis-Kimball have been able to see what life was like 3000 years ago. They still use the same cooking utensils, saddles, etc. and ceremonial costumes as their ancestors. They learn to ride from age 3, girls and boys. And they still keep the ritualistic practices, for example, that the spiritual leaders, the shamans, are women. Otherwise, men and women share duties. It is quite the coorperative and it has worked for thousands of years. But, it still does not explain the Amazons completely. Yet new evidence is discovered every year.
The truth may be buried forever, but, one thing is for sure, the myth will never die. And why should it? It has created controversy, philosophical discussions and given women a stronger image of themselves. And… who doesn’t like a good story anyway?
|
Articles