{"id":950,"date":"2025-02-07T16:23:45","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T16:23:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/?p=950"},"modified":"2025-12-04T22:11:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T22:11:14","slug":"exploring-the-remains-of-an-enaree-priestess","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/exploring-the-remains-of-an-enaree-priestess\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the Remains of an Enaree Priestess"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Unearthing the tomb of an ancient trans priestess | Transgender History\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/k_LAwo98d0w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5d52188abf4ab05d4a21683db50399ed wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Yay, it\u2019s another video on the Enarees! Geez Sophie, obsessed much? Get over it, would ya?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0ac9303c7e05412466487f42d340c1b2 wp-block-paragraph\">Look, there\u2019s a lot to say about them! I could do one big video, but then I wouldn\u2019t have material to Feed The Algorithm. And besides, it\u2019s exhausting to film and edit hours-long video essays. Bite sized stuff is a nice change of pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ca59380462bb07a57849f788fad1d508 wp-block-paragraph\">(Dear past Sophie, as I edit this script for the last time and look at its 24-page length, I\u2019m laughing at you. Sincerely, present Sophie.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b21981faa739470f8ba40eab2bb25b89 wp-block-paragraph\">Who are the Enarees?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-dd3e1f13822d2756c57cdc41a5a80cb7 wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re asking that question, you\u2019re probably new here. And so, welcome. I\u2019m Sophie, and this is We Have Always Existed. It\u2019s a show where we explore the wealth of transgender history in the ancient Mediterranean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c8622e5647120671080cd2ca98c5c72a wp-block-paragraph\">The Enarees are a group of trans feminine priestesses from the Scythian culture. If you want to know why I think it\u2019s reasonable to interpret them as trans, we won\u2019t be discussing that today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-26b6d8eb85028edc5ce1fbdb2f6252b6 wp-block-paragraph\">THE TRANSGENDERS DEMAND YOU BELIEVE EVERYTHING THEY DO! THIS IS A GROUP WHO DEMANDS IDEOLOGICAL FEALTY WITHOUT EVIDENCE!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8ba856f47aaf8f66968699c2f98b2809 wp-block-paragraph\">No, it\u2019s just that I\u2019ve already made that argument, and I don\u2019t care to retread that ground again. It\u2019s in the main video on this topic, which I\u2019ll link below. This video assumes you\u2019ve already seen that one, but I\u2019ll do my best to keep this kindasorta self contained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c0b2b79cfbae76349c6e2cf3a12f4d0f wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/the-enarei-scythian-transgender-priestesses-remastered\/\">The Enarees: Scythian Ancient Transgender Priestesses REMASTERED<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-293aedaf3bf15aaa339e9ca4aed74f42 wp-block-paragraph\">Anyway, today we\u2019re talking about physical remains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-44259dd0d23f3c974f0cf584188b6d79 wp-block-paragraph\">Not just grave goods \u2013 though we\u2019ll be talking plenty about that &#8211; but the actual human remains of actual human people. It\u2019s wild to think about, but you can actually preserve human remains for a very long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-052e7cab2444a9ea88c3a09e4778e847 wp-block-paragraph\">Remember Otzi the Iceman? He got lucky \u2013 relatively speaking, I mean. He did die, and not in a very pleasant way \u2013 seems like an arrow wound to his back pierced an artery (Swaminathan, 26). But he was preserved in ice, which is why we know about him today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-57d557855bcdc3ee71d6367c1796ba8c wp-block-paragraph\">Other times, we have mummies. Actually, Otzi is a mummy too, he was just mummified by accident. But we\u2019ve got plenty of deliberate mummies from Egypt, and some of them weren\u2019t even eaten (Dolan)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"299\" height=\"605\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SPOILER_Inhapi_whole_body.webp?resize=299%2C605&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-977 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SPOILER_Inhapi_whole_body.webp?w=299&amp;ssl=1 299w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SPOILER_Inhapi_whole_body.webp?resize=148%2C300&amp;ssl=1 148w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 299px) 100vw, 299px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-922144d36ac1c20f9c6dc7b4454d0cb7 wp-block-paragraph\">Wild that people used to eat mummies&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-521e5601bcac1291fdf721aefed438f6 wp-block-paragraph\">Imagine looking at this and thinking \u201cmm, that mummy looks yummy!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4b433bd8f3949674da72c9184fe0a546 wp-block-paragraph\">This video isn\u2019t about mummies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-dfc7122e5c6d0231337d0a4c2a86c58e wp-block-paragraph\">It <em>is<\/em> about burial practices, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8924a804140e4bcdb0802d8f37b573ca wp-block-paragraph\">Thus far in this series, we\u2019ve only talked about literary evidence for the Enarees. I know I\u2019ve referred to them as \u201cEnarei\u201d in the past, and this form does occur in literature. But based on the Indo-Iranian roots of this word, \u201cEnarees\u201d is a more appropriate plural. So that\u2019s what I\u2019m going with from here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3b7fb91ded552b286f9a790e29b06516 wp-block-paragraph\">Anyway, we\u2019ve only looked at literary evidence so far. But do we have any physical evidence of their existence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fd74a9df816cf8f23560d95f40dc7cb6 wp-block-paragraph\">Great question. Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe0a7de2 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Support The Channel On Patreon<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<nav class=\"wp-block-stackable-table-of-contents stk-block-table-of-contents stk-block stk-e0b33ee\" data-block-id=\"e0b33ee\"><p class=\"stk-table-of-contents__title\">Table of Contents<\/p><ul class=\"stk-table-of-contents__table\"><li><a href=\"#the-remains-of-an-enaree-priestess\">The Remains of an Enaree Priestess<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#chapter-i-the-region-of-bactria\">Chapter I: The Region of Bactria<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#chapter-ii-now-lets-get-to-tillya-tepe\">Chapter II: Now, Let\u2019s Get To Tillya-Tepe<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#ancient-sources\">Ancient Sources:<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#modern-sources\">Modern Sources:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"the-remains-of-an-enaree-priestess\">The Remains of an Enaree Priestess<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2f3a241b81cfb3d74a930d5eab315f70 wp-block-paragraph\">There are plenty of illiterate cultures across the ancient Mediterranean, so why do we talk so much about the Scythians? Why don\u2019t we talk about the Bastarnae, the Silurii, or the Tectosages \u2013 sounds like a sci-fi faction, doesn\u2019t it? Awesome name, Strabo talks about them a bit (IV.I.XII-XIII).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c1a2d8296d2f5174ffe444fb4e163927 wp-block-paragraph\">Anyway, why are the Scythians so much more interesting than the Tectosages? Equally cool names though. Knocked it out of the park there, both of you. Top shelf. I know it\u2019s not pronounced like Tectosages but it sounds cooler this way. Deal with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e0a33a8f28b581d040507b24b89659bd wp-block-paragraph\">Part of it has to do with their burial practices. The Scythians buried their dead in burial mounds called kurgans, and there are tons of them scattered across Eurasia. Ever since the conquest of Siberia by Ivan the Terrible beginning in the 16<sup>th<\/sup> century, it was rumoured that these burial mounds held gold artifacts, and Russian expeditions spent centuries digging them up (Cunliffe, 1-4). But unfortunately, a lot of these early excavations were done by essentially grave robbers, not archaeologists, so the burial context and even the location where a lot of these items were found has been lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-73773bbe9ca7e6c6f968315c6af79835 wp-block-paragraph\">There are tens of thousands of these things, stretching from the Pontic Steppe across Siberia, and even into northern China (Simpson, British Museum Blog). And we\u2019ve learned a lot about the Scythians from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-011cbde0336fc8472cb4c7d72b7a6eb5 wp-block-paragraph\">We know they were buried in coffins made of hollowed out logs, for example. They had some pretty intricate tattoos as well \u2013 one burial mound was found high in the Altai mountains, where the ice preserved their bodies, like with Otzi. They tattooed themselves with all sorts of different scenes relating to their life and mythology. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2M8llYuX6yQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The British Museum has a short little video showing more details<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-02ca38de919a2fc92257480fbbb69f89 wp-block-paragraph\">So we do have the physical remains of quite a few Scythians. But have we found any enarees?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3e588e28c490231d950c0eccc82a48c2 wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-00100cde65c860886b124494859233a1 wp-block-paragraph\">But before we go any further, Like the video. Just do it. C\u2019mon, it only takes a second. I don\u2019t like asking for it, you don\u2019t like it either, so let\u2019s just get this over with alright? Like the video. Then subscribe, it\u2019s right beside the Like button. Don\u2019t complain, just do it. Quit your whining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-afa2060eebebc20239b46bd7c88ff09a wp-block-paragraph\">Also, leave a comment. If you don\u2019t know what to leave, here are some options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2b8ff1e99efc53ee9861f25ec6c3d699 wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI like the video, Sophie!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e0963ef1ec1d740562da03ede3266b14 wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTrans history is neato burrito, gee golly gosh!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e2f37bd9fe22840c218a06bd99d1664f wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is fascinating stuff!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-647996b21e774a182554f056e616ad1a wp-block-paragraph\">\u201ciosoerjgtbhrsioej4grb\u201d \u2013 make sure you spell that one properly though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-42b99716d69da2056dc06534b5bb1b9e wp-block-paragraph\">Other ways to support the channel include becoming a backer on Patreon, becoming a channel member, or buying a copy of my novel, The Bottom Line \u2013 links in the description below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6394ead8f69b7017ec83435a93b98803 wp-block-paragraph\">Our journey today will bring us to a site in Jowzjan (jowzz-jinn), a province in what\u2019s now northern Afghanistan, but modern nation states aren\u2019t that old \u2013 its history goes back a lot further than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d72f3fb20e3b39491dc820473418e51d wp-block-paragraph\">But before we get into the site, let\u2019s take a look at the area in general. It\u2019s a region with a pretty fascinating history, and honestly, I\u2019ve kinda been looking for an excuse to talk about it, so here we go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"chapter-i-the-region-of-bactria\">Chapter I: The Region of Bactria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f1a0de40831814488108a0454d216eb9 wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019ve heard of The Silk Road, right? It wasn\u2019t actually a road, but a collection of trade routes that allowed for the flow of goods and information from east Asia to the Mediterranean, and back (Britannica, Silk Road Map). The first section of it follows the Great Wall of China before heading off into the wilderness of the Great Steppe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-affecc8ad9626ef07d73cf8c3fdd7758 wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s a long route \u2013 more than 6,400 kilometres from end to end (National Geographic). And yeah, travelers would be relatively protected while they were still within the borders of Han China, but once they left, there was a lot more to contend with. A combination of robbers and the tremendous distance meant it was rare for anyone to travel the entire route. Instead, they would sell their wares, and resupply, at a series of trading posts along the way. If you positioned yourself at key points along the Silk Road, you could reap the benefits of trade, and of providing life-or-death service to caravans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5ea25702272ea138fdf6b9fd4744385e wp-block-paragraph\">One of these trading posts was the city of Bactra, in what\u2019s now northern Afghanistan, about 100 kilometres south of the border with Uzbekistan (Sarianidi 1985, 7). Bactra had a pretty substantial Greek population, but it\u2019s <em>really <\/em>far from mainland Greece. According to Google Maps, it would take you 1,051 hours to walk from Athens to Bactra, if you took a ferry across the Aegean. Assuming you walked about 8 hours a day, that\u2019s more than four months. To put this in perspective, if you\u2019re a North American, it\u2019s roughly the same distance to walk from Quebec City to Seattle. If you\u2019re South American, you could start in Tierra Del Fuego and end up near La Paz, in Bolivia. If you\u2019re an African, it\u2019s about the equivalent of walking from Fes, Morocco to Amman, in Jordan. And if you\u2019re a European, imagine walking from Gibraltar to Moscow (Google Maps). It\u2019s a hell of a trek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-60557f23f0f623e2ee23109f4ab4cc81 wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re familiar with the broad strokes of Greek history, you might assume it was Alexander who brought a Greek presence out this far. And yeah, he did bring a bunch of Greeks to the area, but when he and his army arrived in the area in around 329 BCE (Arr. Anab. XXIX), they would have found Greeks there already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-622ac9cc7cd5e2083dedce6857661fe7 wp-block-paragraph\">Herodotus tells us the Persian King of Kings Darius the Great conquered a Greek city in modern day Libya called Barca, and enslaved most of its residents. Then, he shipped them off to Bactria (Her. 4.200-205). Since Darius died in late 486 BCE (Lenderling), this must have been before then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0d6ec8763a0fa344d22106fe6bfd0885 wp-block-paragraph\">The area stayed under Persian control for more than 100 years before Alexander showed up, so a lot of Persians ended up there as well. When Alexander died and his generals carved up his empire, the area fell under the control of the general Seleucus. Then, it became the Greco-Bactrian kingdom when Diodotus I, the satrap of Bactria, rebelled and declared independence around 256 BCE (Just. Epit. XLI.IV-V). It wasn\u2019t ruled by Greeks forever, but Greeks were always present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-75c9680514dae2b766f77529716e33c1 wp-block-paragraph\">Who else was present?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4447a021baa9e30f6ee26697133d406e wp-block-paragraph\">The Parthians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1c26cd6a7e6377c1a264b7a06ad5a694 wp-block-paragraph\">The historian Justin tells us the Parthians were actually a group of Scythians who\u2019d been exiled from their home. In fact, the word for exile in the Scythian language was \u201cparthi,\u201d so I guess they just reclaimed the term and went with it. After leaving their homes, they ended up in the same area we\u2019re looking at today \u2013 the Bactrian region. They weren\u2019t much to speak of at first \u2013 ruled by whomever happened to be in charge of the area at the time. But after Alexander\u2019s conquests, they began to consolidate their power, and at its greatest extent the Parthian Empire covered a pretty big chunk of former Persian territory, including Bactria&nbsp;(Just. Epit. XLI.I-XII). They reached their height during the reign of King Mithradates, who, incredibly, is not one of the SEVEN different Mithradateseses we talked about in the video on Mithradates, and believe it or not there are plenty more of them we haven\u2019t talked about yet (Smith). I guess Mithradates was like the Muhammad of the region before Muhammad was the Muhammad of the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1fce530b2125e0a97cba109070f3f02d wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/hypsikrates-the-transgender-spouse-of-mithradates\/\">Who Was Hypsikrates, the Transgender Spouse of Mithradates?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-bf37d91078e07b721743eeafb5a90191 wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re familiar with the history of the late Roman Republic, you might remember the first triumvirate \u2013 Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus. Let\u2019s take a look at Crassus quickly here, he was a real son of a bitch. He was one of the wealthiest guys in Rome, if not the wealthiest, and here\u2019s how he built his wealth. He created a fire brigade, who\u2019d show up at houses that were on fire. Then he\u2019d offer to buy the place from the owners for a pathetically small amount. If they agreed, Crassus would put out the fire, then rent it back to the owners at an inflated price. If they didn\u2019t, he\u2019d let it burn t the ground (Plut. Crass. 2.3\u20134). What a piece of garbage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-215d3970f8e50eb82a209aae4263a402 wp-block-paragraph\">Anyway, his wealth was what bought him into the first triumvirate. This was an alliance where the three men agreed to work together to build each other up and gain more power. Having the richest guy in town seems helpful in that regard, huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f09d0ee4511ff7c240b595bef57e790f wp-block-paragraph\">Anyway, Crassus eventually became governor of the Roman province of Syria, where he came to blows with the Parthians. He was a terrible leader, as it turns out, so the Parthians handily defeated his forces in battle. After the Parthians killed Crassus, they poured molten gold down his throat (Cass. Dio, 40.27).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-733e36798247c8e65ff5d0ecb27a8f64 wp-block-paragraph\">But they were being helpful, I think! Crassus had a thirst for wealth, and they were helping him sate it. If anything, the Parthians are allies to the wealthy community, the world\u2019s truly oppressed minority. I hope today\u2019s obscenely wealthy people involved in politics can look back to these inspiring events and know that at certain moments in history, their community got such helpful treatments as they truly deserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d2534af71ebb968b14d9518809450516 wp-block-paragraph\">Who else we got?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6e2c41042422c7a5b491558c639032f9 wp-block-paragraph\">Han China had been expanding east for some time, and around 176 BCE they started to push the &nbsp;&nbsp;out of their territory. This is kinda like dominos but I\u2019ll do my best to keep it simple. At first, the Xiongnu were pushed into the traditional lands of the Yuezhi. The Xiongnu were much more powerful than the Yuezhi, so they were able to push the Yuezhi out. The easiest option for the Yuezhi was to head west \u2013 after all, south and east would take them right back into Han territory, and north would take them into Siberia with its harsh winters. As they moved, they themselves displaced another group \u2013 the Saka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5aaa58b73e2e63415761f5dfe86b251f wp-block-paragraph\">But shortly after, the Xiongnu displaced another group from near where the Yuezhi originated \u2013 the Wusan. They headed west as well, into the area where the Yuezhi had displaced the Saka, and displaced the Yuezhi as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2b76eb7e235129531c4e9138853edcdd wp-block-paragraph\">Han\u2019s comin\u2019 baby<br>Push you out\u2019 the place where yr born<br>We ain&#8217;t fakin&#8217;<br>Whole lot displacin&#8217; goin&#8217; on<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0df9adb626204469439d42dd7459c1bc wp-block-paragraph\">The Saka, along with the Yuezhi, went south, ending up in, you guessed it, Bactria (Cunliffe, 313-315).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9d0a49ef93cfc52388cde8379df20903 wp-block-paragraph\">So, who were these people? The Yuezhi, the Saka, the Wusan, the Xiongnu \u2013 each was a group of nomads who lived in the area north of China \u2013 the Great Steppe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d73a117bc23cf4f50df7001ab2ccbd3a wp-block-paragraph\">Were they the same as the Scythians we know of from the Black Sea? No, they probably didn\u2019t even know each other existed. But there are some strong similarities. For example, all of the above were renowned horseback archers. They also had similar burial practices. But also, a team of 25 researchers led by Martina Unterl\u00e4nder examined a variety of DNA samples across the steppe, from near the Black Sea to near the Altai Mountains, and found no notable differences (Unterl\u00e4nder et al.). So in many ways, these were the same people, though they weren\u2019t united as a Scythian Empire or anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ec3e63cff4a430d95513ee3fe0465b84 wp-block-paragraph\">But even if different groups of people have some ethnic and cultural similarities, that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re homogenous. Think of the rivalries between different cities in your home province or state, for example. Like Toronto and Mississauga, for example \u2013 they\u2019re not the same place. Sorry Mississaugans, you\u2019ve gotta stop telling people you\u2019re from Toronto. You\u2019re not. You\u2019re one of the biggest cities in the country. It&#8217;s time to get your own identity. You can\u2019t keep riding Toronto\u2019s global credibility. Does San Jose do that with San Francisco? No, they\u2019ve got their own personality. The free ride\u2019s over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-77cc3271daf8d230b95239878ff06807 wp-block-paragraph\">Oh, you don\u2019t have a personality of your own? Well maybe you should have thought of that before you decided to be a whole bunch of condos with a single gigantic mall in the middle. Not our problem. Build some culture, work your own stuff out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-de54514eaabbc23aec10ae5fcc5ff846 wp-block-paragraph\">(I actually don\u2019t hate Mississauga, I can\u2019t be a mississanthropist some of my friends are Mississaugans!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c3a483a9354b9ba567cc81f146fe094a wp-block-paragraph\">So my point is that even if these were the same people ethnically, and they had some cultural similarities, we shouldn\u2019t view them as a monolith. If they were, then the Xiongnu wouldn\u2019t have displaced the Yuezhi, y\u2019know?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6825acd88db02910fbae481e076d5469 wp-block-paragraph\">So, let\u2019s recap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fb39dadd639246c8f4956c5e982a9a76 wp-block-paragraph\">Even accounting for regional differences, Scythian culture was widespread across the Steppe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2ecbbcbfcd713299cbf15fb35ce1747f wp-block-paragraph\">It was a multicultural region, with Scythians living alongside Greeks, Persians, and others. Each of them ruled the area at different times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4e0fe1de99d48ae5d0c3dfb64afd67b7 wp-block-paragraph\">Trade flowed through the region quite a bit, from Western Europe all the way to Han China. This made the people there pretty wealthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8f4ca5771538e5366ddd634e3457a5fa wp-block-paragraph\">That should give us a good idea of what the Bactrian region was like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d16fa399498d0c7b14cec91a4c4958ed wp-block-paragraph\">Now, let\u2019s get to Tillya Tepe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe0a7de2 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Support The Channel On Patreon<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"chapter-ii-now-lets-get-to-tillya-tepe\">Chapter II: Now, Let\u2019s Get To Tillya-Tepe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0076526203d5f0d80a73df914f3f24b9 wp-block-paragraph\">There wasn\u2019t much in the way of formal relations between the Roman Empire and Han China, but there was plenty of trade in commercial goods. Chinese silk was quite popular among the upper classes in Rome (Thorley, 71), and in China they were big fans of Roman glassware (Hoppal). But Han China isn\u2019t modern China \u2013 it was a lot smaller (Britannica, Han Dynasty Map), and the trip between the two powers was a long and dangerous one. So if you were traveling by land, it was important to have a safe place to stop, rest, and resupply along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fd703754492fdd0e896fedf6b4f8c84d wp-block-paragraph\">Bactria became incredibly wealthy as a result, and so did the people who lived there. In spite of this wealth though, they seemed to have held on to their cultural traditions, as we can see at Tillya-Tepe. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2a7200b2693accd892e9b3081ff8e911 wp-block-paragraph\">Tillya-Tepe is an archaeological site a few miles northeast of Sheberghan, the capital of Jowzjan (Peterson, 43). It\u2019s near the base of the Hindu Kush mountains. And one of the things it\u2019s known for is the incredible amount of gold it held \u2013 in fact, the name Tillya-Tepe itself means \u201cGolden Mound\u201d. We\u2019ve pulled more than 20,000 pieces made of gold and turquoise out of it (Srinivasan, 16, Sarianidi, 15), and yeah I know that sounds like an absurd amount but the source I used was Viktor Sarianidi, who was actually there doing the digging and cataloging. So when I say the Silk Road made this area incredibly wealthy, I\u2019m not kidding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a5429f04ce276f80fa085ab134ab2ac7 wp-block-paragraph\">Among them we\u2019ve found some coins, which helps us date the site to between 100 BCE and 100 CE, depending on the grave (Srinivasan, 16). For context if you\u2019ve watched any previous videos on this channel, Mithradates Eupator died in 63 BCE (Mayor, 343-351) and Ovid died in 17 or 18 CE (Boyle and Woodard, intro), so roughly around the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fce09037dc01f344abf26ce2da9400b8 wp-block-paragraph\">The site was excavated by a joint Soviet-Afghan expedition in the 1970\u2019s, and best we can tell it was first inhabited in the late 1000\u2019s BCE. Originally, we think it was a fire temple, but unfortunately the details of it aren\u2019t known, which is a real shame because think of how many cool stories involve a fire temple. Ocarina of Time, Avatar: The Last Airbender&#8230; uhh&#8230; I\u2019m sure there are more than two&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4133af5ff5c17a18db36949671f2420a wp-block-paragraph\">Anyway, it might have been an early form of what would later evolve into Zoroastrianism. Nearby Bactra was considered one of the main centres of Zoroastrianism for a long time (UNESCO), and fire temples are an important part of that belief even to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-214fe3a50b0b4dac7925ba61e4f5b925 wp-block-paragraph\">So, an ancient fire temple. Neato. But that was a long time before the period we\u2019re looking at today. By the time Alexander arrived in the area, he\u2019d have found a small village built around some ruins. Eventually even that village was deserted, and by the 1<sup>st<\/sup> century BCE, it was turned into a burial mound, which is what we\u2019re interested in (Sarianidi, 18).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-30fcfd6f4d340bc8b6789cfca9cfa061 wp-block-paragraph\">In particular, the graves of six individuals were excavated. Five of them were what we\u2019d consider to be assigned female at birth, while the sixth was assigned male at birth. Sort of. I don\u2019t know how the Scythians would have designated such things. Maybe it\u2019s more appropriate to call their genders assigned at dig &#8211; AFAD and AMAD. Yeah, let\u2019s go with that. They\u2019ve numbered the burials from 1 to 6 \u2013 number 4 is the AMAD one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c3d5cc0577a57d210273f531aa66f3e7 wp-block-paragraph\">They ranged in age \u2013 the youngest was around 15-20, and the oldest was age 30-40 (Davis-Kimball, 226). And it\u2019s in these graves that we found the immense wealth of gold objects from Tillya-Tepe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6a8d303218fcbceba714eeea96bec820 wp-block-paragraph\">These include things like mirrors, different coloured minerals, pendants, crowns, daggers, swords, belt buckles, and a lot more. Based on the iconography on this stuff, scholar Jeannine Davis-Kimball believes the AFAD graves include three priestesses, and two warrior priestesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f3f50cfe24c554f4fdc8cee7dcec959e wp-block-paragraph\">What about the other one? It\u2019s labeled Grave IV, so that\u2019s what I\u2019ll call it from here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"357\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Davis-Kimball-Athena-catalog-3.78.jpg?resize=357%2C534&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-954 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Davis-Kimball-Athena-catalog-3.78.jpg?w=357&amp;ssl=1 357w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Davis-Kimball-Athena-catalog-3.78.jpg?resize=201%2C300&amp;ssl=1 201w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 357px) 100vw, 357px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0219a6ada9f060d941810483bb558860 wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, there wasn&#8217;t much left of their clothing after so long. But gold and jewels were sewn into their clothing, which survived. And because thankfully they didn\u2019t move around in their graves, these items stayed in place after the fabric of their clothing rotted away. As a result, we can tell the general outlines of what they were wearing, and that they wore fairly similar clothing (Davis-Kimball, 226-227). In fact, from what we can tell, their clothing was similar to what\u2019s depicted on this amulet of the goddess Athena, which was found in burial #3 (Sarianidi, 18-19).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-338ef9ec83a2fa525e1a1211416e4d17 wp-block-paragraph\">Within Grave IV, we found some weapons. But we found weapons in two of the other graves as well, which is one of the reasons Jeannine Davis-Kimball decided they were warrior priestesses. We\u2019ve also found quite a bit of stuff that\u2019s <em>not<\/em> typically associated with male burials as well (Davis-Kimball, 226-227). In fact, we\u2019ve got a lot of great photos of it, thanks to the work of the aforementioned Viktor Sarianidi, who was part of the expedition to excavate Tillya-Tepe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d1f4d4f24d15a23ae945dd9c373c8bf7 wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s take a look at this one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ab41f4b2584c5ba2f6738cc4cd11bcde wp-block-paragraph\">This is part of a little golden crown, and depicted the tree of life&nbsp; (Sarianidi, 166). <\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"474\" height=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/davis-kimball-tree-of-life-catalog-4.28.png?resize=474%2C644&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-955 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/davis-kimball-tree-of-life-catalog-4.28.png?w=474&amp;ssl=1 474w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/davis-kimball-tree-of-life-catalog-4.28.png?resize=221%2C300&amp;ssl=1 221w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"639\" height=\"637\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/schilz-285.jpg?resize=639%2C637&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-956 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/schilz-285.jpg?w=639&amp;ssl=1 639w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/schilz-285.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/schilz-285.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 100vw, 639px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9ddca07f92e94cc197adf7377f96ba37 wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s similar to one we\u2019ve found that belonged to a Scythian woman who lived north of the Black Sea (Davis-Kimball, 238), and it\u2019s also similar to a crown&nbsp; we found in Grave VI here at Tillya-Tepe, pictured here (Schilz, 285).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-54be3266d02f2decb2cd48aa4a95f2ef wp-block-paragraph\">Tree of life depictions were associated with the goddess Artimpasa, which is one of the sources of Aphrodite\u2019s mythology. That\u2019s a LONG story though, which I\u2019ll cover in a future video. But Aphrodite has different aspects \u2013 Aphrodite Ourania, or Heavenly Aphrodite, is the one related to Artimpasa (Cunliffe, 276). In the main video on the Enarees, we looked at a quote from Herodotus who tells us that Heavenly Aphrodite was the one who gave the Enarees the \u201cfemale sickness,\u201d quote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-3-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-47fbabee3a5e3b65676c5853c9ca6587 wp-block-paragraph\">When the Scythians came on their way to the city of Ascalon in Syria, most of them passed by and did no harm, but a few remained behind and plundered the temple of Heavenly Aphrodite&#8230; and all their descendants after them, were afflicted by the goddess with the female sickness, and so the Scythians say that they are afflicted as a consequence of this.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-61e8eab003501b318673fb4ebb7b83bd wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Herodotus, Histories, Book 1, chapter 105<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-306a3e90760a867ecfb24c02341f6578 wp-block-paragraph\">Alright! So Grave IV has a crown with a symbol devoted to the goddess who made the Enarees feminine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"499\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-172-3-catalog-4.1-1-1024x499.jpg?resize=1024%2C499&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-958\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-172-3-catalog-4.1-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C499&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-172-3-catalog-4.1-1.jpg?resize=300%2C146&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-172-3-catalog-4.1-1.jpg?resize=768%2C374&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-172-3-catalog-4.1-1.jpg?w=1241&amp;ssl=1 1241w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-56073dc7f1aa917f119d69c50f987cc1 wp-block-paragraph\">We also found these neato&nbsp;shoe buckles (Sarianidi, 172, pictured above). Pretty, yeah, but what\u2019s the story with them? Each of them depicts a figure riding in a chariot, pulled by winged lions. But what makes the figure noteworthy is that they have no visible breasts, but no beard either. That marks them as two different possible things \u2013 a youth, or a eunuch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"967\" height=\"642\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-130-cat-3.1.jpg?resize=967%2C642&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-130-cat-3.1.jpg?w=967&amp;ssl=1 967w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-130-cat-3.1.jpg?resize=300%2C199&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-130-cat-3.1.jpg?resize=768%2C510&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 967px) 100vw, 967px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-24fe57398f0b4693f00e09ea000e17ec wp-block-paragraph\">This one is from a different grave, grave 3 (Sarianidi, 130, above). But it\u2019s got the same thing going on. A beardless warrior in women\u2019s clothing, with long curly hair, like the shoe buckles. But this person is standing between two trees of life, which makes me think these are depictions not of youths, but of Enaree priestesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-73f68026ba6b4a9a131f14262907073d wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s another one. This is a belt, with a series of medallions on it (Sarianidi, 141). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-643bb0f529e5c437d88945b2d46c7a6d wp-block-paragraph\">Taking a closer look at them (below), we can see these are depictions of women riding on a lion (Davis-Kimball, 239). <\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"497\" height=\"670\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-141-catalog-4.2.jpg?resize=497%2C670&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-960 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-141-catalog-4.2.jpg?w=497&amp;ssl=1 497w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-141-catalog-4.2.jpg?resize=223%2C300&amp;ssl=1 223w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"631\" height=\"436\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-142-catalog-4.2-detail-1.jpg?resize=631%2C436&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-962\" style=\"width:740px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-142-catalog-4.2-detail-1.jpg?w=631&amp;ssl=1 631w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-142-catalog-4.2-detail-1.jpg?resize=300%2C207&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 631px) 100vw, 631px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9479dbb69aaa733a3dcec2c664e8ef82 wp-block-paragraph\">Not only is this also not commonly seen in male graves, it\u2019s a depiction associated with the cult of Kybele. If you\u2019ve watched the video on the Gallae, some lights might be going off in your head. If not, the Gallae were another group of trans feminine priestesses associated with the goddess Kybele. Go check it out, it&#8217;s even more blatantly trans than the Enarees are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-994facdefd7232a5aeb65119a907766f wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/kybele-and-the-gallae\/\">Who Were The Roman Gallae Priestesses?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"470\" height=\"676\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-162-catalog-4.3.jpg?resize=470%2C676&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-963 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-162-catalog-4.3.jpg?w=470&amp;ssl=1 470w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-162-catalog-4.3.jpg?resize=209%2C300&amp;ssl=1 209w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 470px) 100vw, 470px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-31e2460a2e63df3490d74889041a5244 wp-block-paragraph\">Another object not commonly found in male burials is this depiction of a ram (Davis-Kimball, 227, Sarianidi, 162). It\u2019s not as exciting, I know. This would have attached to the crown in the same way the tree of life did.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b4c6ae2ce264d82e86115083197ad32d wp-block-paragraph\">Now, there\u2019s one more quote I want to read you before we go any further, from Pseudo-Hippocrates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-3-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-006f46c978f00638e6beab846ffd0e59 wp-block-paragraph\">And, in addition to these, there are many eunuchs among the Scythians, who perform female work, and speak like women. Such persons are called Enarees. The inhabitants of the country attribute the cause of their impotence to a god, and venerate and worship such persons, every one dreading that the like might befall himself&#8230; They put on female attire, reproach themselves for effeminacy, play the part of women, and perform the same work as women do.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7128f2aeeb52758f015c3f0872a22c49 wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Pseudo-Hippocrates, On Airs, Waters, And Places, Chapter 22<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-30027a21680c11d822bc1d479753824d wp-block-paragraph\">So, let\u2019s recap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d9bf90e674dc6d8b3e9882291b4f197a wp-block-paragraph\">The Enarees were a group of Scythian priestesses who were assigned male at birth, but dressed, acted, and sounded like women, were eunuchs, and played a woman\u2019s role in society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-06ca4885e57a0f38557b9de0c96b164b wp-block-paragraph\">The resident of Grave IV is what we might consider today to be assigned male at birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-46dab7a7e3defb27eb7b34ac82c5d859 wp-block-paragraph\">The grave was found alongside five women, was dressed similarly to the women, and has a bunch of items in it that aren\u2019t generally found in male graves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d1e9f4697d96dd5778749cd276f70934 wp-block-paragraph\">This includes depictions of eunuchs, and cultic associations with the goddess that made the Enarees effeminate according to Herodotus, as well as associations with another goddess who has trans feminine priestesses as attendants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3cb287c8cc38eb448e9c262d3a133a27 wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Is this the grave of an Enaree priestess?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"546\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/tillya-tepe-burial-illustration.jpg?resize=546%2C562&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-964 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/tillya-tepe-burial-illustration.jpg?w=546&amp;ssl=1 546w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/tillya-tepe-burial-illustration.jpg?resize=291%2C300&amp;ssl=1 291w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 546px) 100vw, 546px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-d025e1bbc8925d6d9b581aeb8d6b1ae2 wp-block-paragraph\">Are we, you and I, all of us, gazing upon the remains of one of our trans sisters, from two thousand years ago?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b3a5d60f53691eda6ed40559c3630725 wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s enough evidence here that I think this is a reasonable conclusion to arrive at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2e54b62f821f0f568fabf0bde8abd6fe wp-block-paragraph\">Do you think this statement absurd? Laughable? Fantastic? Of course, you are privileged to dismiss it with whatever adjective you wish. But the evidence is there, if you care to examine it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9bf27e18521174f1365a7ae7aad0033a wp-block-paragraph\">The resident of this grave was repeatedly referred to as a male in the literature, which was a little difficult to read at times. We\u2019ve all heard the line transphobes love to parrot \u2013 that when archaeologists dig up our bones, they\u2019ll label our graves as male. But if it weren\u2019t for that, we wouldn\u2019t be sitting here today, gazing into the past in awe at the remains of one of our beautiful sisters, and checking out all her cool stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3a430ac07d3d63395c64bce303b3f4ee wp-block-paragraph\">What was her name? We couldn\u2019t possibly know. That\u2019s been lost to the sands of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3b1b69bf7cf6589d9c42343d12838bfb wp-block-paragraph\">But we can tell a bit about what her life may have been like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1f56a36a608b09a2b09be917425177d3 wp-block-paragraph\">We know the Enarees served a woman\u2019s role in Scythian society. We also know they were experts in divining. This is probably what she did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e4534cbb72eff689ca15cd989d68bec2 wp-block-paragraph\">But considering that half of these graves included weapons, clearly a woman\u2019s role was in battle as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4fed24da503e07bd0e9d3a3d0e5d5258 wp-block-paragraph\">As we explore these grave goods, my dear trans siblings, take heart. Here lies one of our sisters and her belongings, reaching through time to help us understand our own place in the human story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"642\" height=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-98-4.34.jpg?resize=642%2C660&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-965 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-98-4.34.jpg?w=642&amp;ssl=1 642w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-98-4.34.jpg?resize=292%2C300&amp;ssl=1 292w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-59ff3adb83d2214087705c9195a986eb wp-block-paragraph\">Here are a couple of plaques we found there. It\u2019s a little hard to see, but the top one is a depiction of a dragon, and the bottom two are panthers (Sarianidi, 98). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-293af5b50cd9256bed3dbae4849e519f wp-block-paragraph\">Trans girls have always been into cats, huh?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-806aac216cc1aa6a3705236ff183dbdc wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s another plaque. It\u2019s got a depiction of two beasts attacking a horse. We\u2019ve found some wood residue on it, which suggests this was used as a stand for a wooden object that would have long ago rotted away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d9adfdfd39905c4dc0f5776fa5f9564d wp-block-paragraph\">What was the object that rested here? (Sarianidi, 179, 251)<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"572\" height=\"659\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-179-catalog-4.36.jpg?resize=572%2C659&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-966 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-179-catalog-4.36.jpg?w=572&amp;ssl=1 572w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-179-catalog-4.36.jpg?resize=260%2C300&amp;ssl=1 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 572px) 100vw, 572px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"530\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Sarianidi-138-9-4.31-1024x530.jpg?resize=1024%2C530&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-967\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Sarianidi-138-9-4.31.jpg?resize=1024%2C530&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Sarianidi-138-9-4.31.jpg?resize=300%2C155&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Sarianidi-138-9-4.31.jpg?resize=768%2C398&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Sarianidi-138-9-4.31.jpg?w=1284&amp;ssl=1 1284w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-50f01a096e886e95e6e2dc44e51672a8 wp-block-paragraph\">Here is a shallow bowl or deep plate, take your pick, that belonged to her (Sarianidi 138-9, 251). This is the item upon which her head lay inside her coffin. This was probably for ritual purposes \u2013 Herodotus tells us the Scythians used bowls in their rituals (Sarianidi, 37).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"597\" height=\"528\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-37-catalog-4.22.jpg?resize=597%2C528&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-968 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-37-catalog-4.22.jpg?w=597&amp;ssl=1 597w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-37-catalog-4.22.jpg?resize=300%2C265&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d1e083a722f493c07bd09d94c4e8679a wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s another plaque (Sarianidi 37, 249). She had two of these. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-17c108d9a74758df4d21f4a1ecf5ccce wp-block-paragraph\">It had some loops soldered onto the back of it, so they could be attached to something.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-73d5207ff351c8b4e8a97d34d03e2f50 wp-block-paragraph\">There were plenty of little beads and bits, which were sown into her clothing, front and back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-09fc9b40dbd5ed2da6970d6933d3a236 wp-block-paragraph\">And because she didn\u2019t move in the grave (thankfully), we can tell roughly where they would have been on her clothing (Schilz, 226).<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"569\" height=\"544\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Schilz-226.jpg?resize=569%2C544&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-969 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Schilz-226.jpg?w=569&amp;ssl=1 569w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Schilz-226.jpg?resize=300%2C287&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 569px) 100vw, 569px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"642\" height=\"654\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-68-4.10.jpg?resize=642%2C654&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-970 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-68-4.10.jpg?w=642&amp;ssl=1 642w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-68-4.10.jpg?resize=294%2C300&amp;ssl=1 294w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-249947498d725d647d423e1cdb53e034 wp-block-paragraph\">This is her necklace. What a beautiful piece. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-78555fcb11578372111865dad877ac88 wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s made of two thick gold cables, weaving in and out of each other in an infinity pattern. (Sarianidi 68 &amp; 69)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"417\" height=\"622\" data-id=\"971\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-155-4.33.jpg?resize=417%2C622&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-971\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-155-4.33.jpg?w=417&amp;ssl=1 417w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-155-4.33.jpg?resize=201%2C300&amp;ssl=1 201w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 417px) 100vw, 417px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"482\" height=\"676\" data-id=\"972\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-156-4.37.jpg?resize=482%2C676&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-972\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-156-4.37.jpg?w=482&amp;ssl=1 482w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-156-4.37.jpg?resize=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1 214w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 482px) 100vw, 482px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1014\" height=\"477\" data-id=\"973\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-4.32.jpg?resize=1014%2C477&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-973\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-4.32.jpg?w=1014&amp;ssl=1 1014w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-4.32.jpg?resize=300%2C141&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-4.32.jpg?resize=768%2C361&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1014px) 100vw, 1014px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c0c31a1dd67415d346dc312b1079437e wp-block-paragraph\">Here is the top of her quiver, two of the four clasps that would have held the quiver together, and her arrowheads (Sarianidi 4.32, 4.33, 4.37, 155-6, 251). The remains of her bow were found outside her coffin, and the arrow shafts, of course, would have rotted away centuries ago. But these are some of the items she would have used to hunt for food and fight her enemies. Within her grave, we found the remains of a horse as well. Knowing what we know about the Scythians and their horses, this shouldn\u2019t be surprising. Our girl was probably a horseback archer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2af9b91b6c2aaf8e5288a866802f500a wp-block-paragraph\">And this&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-84e281a440141de8bd5f1514c161dfc0 wp-block-paragraph\">This is the hilt of her sword. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e16923616fd84b2d9bfc8bd15af50520 wp-block-paragraph\">This double edged iron blade, with a jewel-encrusted golden hilt, is how our ancient sister would have protected herself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-075ada7735a79c8abb2a7a9ceffac9c2 wp-block-paragraph\">Note the scrolling vines along the side of it. <\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"408\" height=\"656\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/schilz-273.jpg?resize=408%2C656&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-975 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/schilz-273.jpg?w=408&amp;ssl=1 408w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/schilz-273.jpg?resize=187%2C300&amp;ssl=1 187w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 408px) 100vw, 408px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"673\" height=\"975\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-1-1.jpg?resize=673%2C975&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-976 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-1-1.jpg?w=673&amp;ssl=1 673w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sarianidi-1-1.jpg?resize=207%2C300&amp;ssl=1 207w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 673px) 100vw, 673px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7a528e9bca874538487bc50dd09b1eab wp-block-paragraph\">On the other side, it features six heart shapes, which are common in the graves of women but not men. It also features a tree of life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d63b77d739cdd16361496f05e2754993 wp-block-paragraph\">This type of sword is called an <em>akinakes<\/em>. It\u2019s a short sword, which was commonly used among Steppe nomads (Schilz, 273). &nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-73724c2ecc1cb0a9735cf526f1470276 wp-block-paragraph\">This can\u2019t be a coincidence. So many items in this grave are associated with women, and with the Enaree order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-087ebc23db43b584557c9d13ac7c8366 wp-block-paragraph\">There are so many more pieces to explore within this grave, and we shan\u2019t look at all of them today. But as you explore these items, I hope you felt a similar sense of awe, of frisson, as I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c9a7a69be6baaee6f64b3b149ab1cb3a wp-block-paragraph\">Because it\u2019s one thing to read the stories of our past trans siblings. There\u2019s beauty in that. There\u2019s power in that. But to gaze at the physical remains of one of us, to understand that we\u2019re more than a footnote in the writings of a disinterested historian, but that we were once living, breathing, feeling individuals, just as we are today&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ab433f6629a49bcbb6a88a23dd1a2781 wp-block-paragraph\">Like all Scythians, there\u2019s nothing written here that helps us. And in fact, the region of Bactria in general is very poorly recorded in history. As a result, most of what we know comes from archaeology, including burials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-54abe8b5b836b531080a5efd070a820b wp-block-paragraph\">She may not have realized, but her remains can help those like her, far into a future she couldn\u2019t possibly have imagined. She can reassure us that we\u2019re not a historical aberration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d4c778f45210a0be4894c8eb1bf7b309 wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re not a modern invention created through the boredom and listlessness of 21<sup>st<\/sup> century life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-47b67e18cb307b62688c619838980ffb wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re not a mind virus, created either through forces dedicated to destroying western civilization, or as a form of the hyper-individualized late capitalist self indulgence that pulls us away from the greater class struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f639c67e558a454b0c37d377f77cae46 wp-block-paragraph\">Before any of that, we were here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-83b676ffacd9966683b1388d0d3b04f2 wp-block-paragraph\">We are part of the human experience, no more unnatural than any of the countless expressions of human diversity we see across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d1e5a6fe048edf5dc0b53fb07ff9189e wp-block-paragraph\">We have always existed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1c158d2ae4cfccd50bc91379c18369dd wp-block-paragraph\">And so long as humanity continues to endure, so too shall we.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe0a7de2 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Support The Channel On Patreon<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"ancient-sources\">Ancient Sources:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-427e71965f1b51ba52166c15f46d24a0 wp-block-paragraph\">\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/files\/46976\/46976-h\/46976-h.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Arrian. \u201cThe Anabasis of Alexander\u201d. Translated by E.J. Chinnock, Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1883<\/a>.<br>\u25baCassius Dio. Roman History (book 40)<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.attalus.org\/translate\/justin7.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Justin, \u201cEpitome of Pompeius Trogus\u2019 Philippic Histories\u201d. Translated by Rev. J.S. Watson, 1853<\/a>.<br>\u25baOvid. \u201cFasti\u201d. Translated by A.J. Boyle and R.D. Woodard, Penguin Books, London, 2000. <br>\u25ba<a href=\"http:\/\/penelope.uchicago.edu\/Thayer\/e\/roman\/texts\/plutarch\/lives\/crassus*.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Plutarch.\u00a0<em>Lives, Volume III: Pericles and Fabius Maximus. Nicias and Crassus.\u00a0<\/em>Translated by\u00a0Bernadotte Perrin.\u00a0Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1916<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/penelope.uchicago.edu\/Thayer\/E\/Roman\/Texts\/Strabo\/home.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Strabo. \u201cGeographia\u201d. Translated by H.\u00a0L.\u00a0Jones, Harvard University Press, 1932<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"modern-sources\">Modern Sources:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-palette-color-8-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1068ea866e2c75dea960592f967d68b2 wp-block-paragraph\">\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Bactria\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. &#8220;Bactria&#8221;. <em>Encyclopedia Britannica<\/em>, 30 Aug. 2024<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Han-dynasty\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. &#8220;Han dynasty&#8221;. Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2024<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Silk-Road-trade-route\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. &#8220;Silk Road&#8221;. <em>Encyclopedia Britannica<\/em>, 27 Nov. 2024<\/a>.<br>\u25baCunliffe, Barry. \u201cThe Scythians\u201d. Oxford University Press, 2019.<br>\u25baDavis-Kimball, Jeannine. \u201cEnarees and Women of High Status: Evidence of Ritual at Tillya Tepe (Northern Afghanistan)\u201d <em>Kurgans, Ritual Sites, and Settlements: Eurasian Bronze and Iron Age, <\/em>2000, pp. 223-239.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/history\/the-gruesome-history-of-eating-corpses-as-medicine-82360284\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dolan, Maria. \u201cThe Gruesome History of Eating Corpses as Medicine\u201d. Smithsonian Magazine, May 6, 2012<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/content\/article\/iceman-was-medical-mess\">Galef, Julia. &#8220;Iceman Was a Medical Mess&#8221;. Science.org, 2012<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.orientations.com.hk\/highlights\/rome-and-china-endpoints-of-the-ancient-silk-roads\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hopp\u00e1l, Krisztina Kinga. \u201cRome and China: Endpoints of the Ancient Silk Roads.\u201d Orientations, March 2022<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.livius.org\/articles\/person\/darius-the-great\/9-death\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lenderling, Jona. \u201cDarius the Great: Death\u201d. Livius.org, 2020<\/a>.<br>\u25baMayor, Adrienne. \u201cThe Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome\u2019s Deadliest Enemy.\u201d Princeton University Press, 2009.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20200201071552\/http:\/www.nationalgeographic.org\/encyclopedia\/silk-road\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Geographic Society. \u201cThe Silk Road\u201d. National Geographic, 2019<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/43876784\/Entire_PhD_thesis_Roses_opium_poppies_and_narcissi_plant_iconography_at_Tillya_tepe_and_connected_cultures_across_the_ancient_world_Available_at_https_eprints_soas_ac_uk_26495_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Peterson, Sara. \u201cRoses, poppies and narcissi : plant iconography at Tillya-tepe and connected cultures across the ancient world.\u201d PhD thesis. SOAS University of London, 2016<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/36050335\/Tillya-tepe_Burials_overview.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Peterson, Sara. \u201cTillya-Tepe Burials Overview&#8221;<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/goldenhoardofbac0000sari\/page\/60\/mode\/2up\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sarianidi, V. I. \u201cThe golden hoard of Bactria : from the Tillya-tepe excavations in northern Afghanistan\u201d. New York, Harry N. Abrams, 1985<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/504260\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sarianidi, V. I. \u201cThe Treasure of Golden Hill\u201d. <em>American Journal of Archaeology<\/em>, vol. 84, no. 2, 1980, pp. 125\u201331<\/a>.<br>\u25baSchilz, V\u00e9ronique. \u201cTillya Tepe, the Hill of Gold: A Nomad Necropolis\u201d. <em>Afghanistan: hidden treasures from the National Museum, Kabul<\/em>, 2008.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldhistory.org\/Parthia_(Empire)\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Smith, Patrick Scott. &#8220;Parthia (Empire).&#8221; <em>World History Encyclopedia<\/em>. World History Encyclopedia, 22 Jul 2019<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishmuseum.org\/blog\/scythians-ice-mummies-and-burial-mounds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Simpson, St. John. \u201cScythians, ice mummies, and burial mounds.\u201d British Museum Blog, 2017<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2M8llYuX6yQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Simpson, St. John. &#8221; Scythians: tattooed people of the Siberian steppe.&#8221;\u00a0<em>YouTube,<\/em>\u00a0uploaded by The British Museum, October 25, 2017<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.ca\/books?id=dCz8NczNbcMC&amp;source=gbs_navlinks_s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Srinivasan, Doris meth. &#8220;Pre-Ku\u1e63\u0101\u1e47a Art: A New Concept&#8221;. On the Cusp of an Era: Art in the Pre-Ku\u1e63\u0101\u1e47a World. Brill, 2007, 1-29<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/archaeology.org\/issues\/july-august-2012\/digs-discoveries\/what-ailed-the-iceman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Swaminathan, Nikhil. \u201cWhat Ailed The Iceman?\u201d <em>Archaeology<\/em>, vol. 65, no. 4, 2012, pp. 16<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"http:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/642389\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Thorley, J. \u201cThe Silk Trade between China and the Roman Empire at Its Height, \u2018Circa\u2019 A. D. 90-130.\u201d <em>Greece &amp; Rome<\/em>, vol. 18, no. 1, 1971, pp. 71\u201380<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"https:\/\/en.unesco.org\/silkroad\/content\/did-you-know-city-balkh-ancient-capital-bactria-and-centre-buddhism-and-zoroastrianism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UNESCO. \u201cDid You Know? The City of Balkh: Ancient Capital of Bactria and Centre of Buddhism and Zoroastrianism along the Silk Roads\u201d<\/a>.<br>\u25ba<a href=\"doi:10.1038\/ncomms14615\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Unterl\u00e4nder, Martina et al. \u201cAncestry and demography and descendants of Iron Age nomads of the Eurasian Steppe.\u201d <em>Nature communications<\/em> vol. 8 14615. 2017<\/a>.<a id=\"_msocom_1\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a id=\"_msocom_1\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yay, it\u2019s another video on the Enarees! Geez Sophie, obsessed much? Get over it, would ya? Look, there\u2019s a lot to say about them! I could do one big video, but then I wouldn\u2019t have material to Feed The Algorithm. And besides, it\u2019s exhausting to film and edit hours-long video essays. Bite sized stuff is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1627,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[184,186,189,187,4],"tags":[162,144,121,161,165,158,167,171,163,166,160,169,168,170,172,138,164,159,136,112,149,113],"class_list":["post-950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-enarees","category-transgender-archaeology","category-transgender-historical-individuals","category-transgender-history","category-we-have-always-existed","tag-ancient-greece","tag-ancient-history","tag-ancient-rome","tag-classical-antiquity","tag-classical-athens","tag-classical-greece","tag-enaree","tag-enarees","tag-enarei","tag-hellenistic-greece","tag-history-of-the-roman-empire","tag-history-of-transgender","tag-history-of-transgender-people","tag-history-of-transgenderism","tag-lgbt-history-documentary","tag-roman-empire","tag-roman-greece","tag-scythia","tag-trans-history","tag-transgender","tag-transgender-ancient-history","tag-transgender-history"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Exploring the Remains of an Enaree Priestess - Sophie&#039;s Site (Staging)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sbedwards.co\/staging\/9372\/exploring-the-remains-of-an-enaree-priestess\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Exploring the Remains of an Enaree Priestess - Sophie&#039;s Site (Staging)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Yay, it\u2019s another video on the Enarees! Geez Sophie, obsessed much? Get over it, would ya? Look, there\u2019s a lot to say about them! I could do one big video, but then I wouldn\u2019t have material to Feed The Algorithm. And besides, it\u2019s exhausting to film and edit hours-long video essays. 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