Abstract:

This article is devoted to the study of the description of the burial culture of the Scythians by Herodotus, as well as the peculiarities of the perception of burial rites by Herodotus, based on knowledge of the general picture of the religious world of the Scythians, based on current archaeological excavations. In the course of the research, we analyze fragments from the fourth book of the «History» of Herodotus in comparison with modern discoveries in the field of funeral rites of the Scythians. This approach seems to be the most suitable for clarifying the testimony of Herodotus, separating fiction and distortions from historical reality.

Keywords: Herodotus, Scythians, culture, rite, burial, mound, temple