The mystery of `Ancient AK-47`: The haunting poisoned weapon of the Scythian warrior

Bows and arrows are fearsome weapons that dominate the battlefields of Scythian warriors , they are likened to the AK-47 guns of the ancient Near East.

Specifically, the Scythians created arrowheads capable of piercing their opponents’ armor during combat.

Most of the arrowheads are made of bronze, while the back part is made of wood and is about 76cm long.

It is believed that, around the 7th century BC, the Scythians developed weapons that could penetrate the armor of Assyria (a country in northern Mesopotamia) because during that time, Scythia was actually

Bronze was also not the only material used by the Scythians to make arrows.

In terms of shape, some arrowheads are small and pointed, while others are shaped like pointed leaves, which can be used for hunting purposes.

Deadly poison of Scythian archers: Death on every arrow

Besides being designed to cause great damage, the arrows of Scythian warriors also terrified opponents because they were extremely poisonous.

In fact, the Scythians had many deadly poisons to choose from, including many types of venom taken from `venomous` snakes such as Steppe Viper, Caucasus Viper,…

The Scythians are experts in biological weapons and they have a huge arsenal of poisons, including many types of snake venom at desired levels.

Some ancient Greek records say that Scythian magicians would take snake venom in their arsenal and mix it with other ingredients, including human blood.

Strabo, the ancient Greek historian, also mentioned the deadly venomous weapon of Scythia, using a strange poison that made the arrows of Scythian archers even more terrifying.

Unlike normal weapons, the arrows of archers and Scythian warriors can bring `double death` to the enemy.

The reason is because they are designed with sharp barbs that can grip tightly and make it difficult to pull out when hit by an arrow. At the same time, they are soaked in the above scary poison, which will cause the victim pain from the wound and the toxin.

The interesting thing is that in the arrow bag worn by the Scythian warrior when fighting, there are many different types of poison.

Ancient Scythians often painted their arrows red or black, and included rhombus, diamond, or zigzag shapes.

Arrows with zigzag or diamond patterns are said to be laced with the strongest poison.

Besides, the fact that the arrow head and body are decorated with patterns can create a psychological effect.

Possessing the skill of shooting poisoned arrows, along with the ability to fight on horseback, helped the Scythians build a powerful empire (in today’s Crimea) and became the obsession of many armies.

Starting as a nomadic tribe migrating from Central Asia to Southern Russia and Eastern Europe, the Scythians became fearsome warriors on the battlefield.

Besides bows and arrows, Scythian warriors also used many other weapons such as spears, double-edged swords, short swords, daggers, heavy darts, etc. Flexibility in using non-traditional tactics when

Photo reference/source: Ancientorigins, Wwaponsandwarfare