Abstract:
At the current stage of Scythology, numerous studies of archaeological monuments have
been carried out, their historical and cultural interpretation has been given; zones of movement and regions that did not have a permanent population were determined; potential initial
foci of migration and innovation have been identifi ed. A general methodological approach
has been proposed for synchronizing Asian materials with Scythian chronology; the concept
of the formation of nomadic cultures in the Asian mountain-steppe regions has been put
forward, archaeological materials has been combined into cultural and chronological horizons. However, there are tendencies towards subjectivity of assessments and interpretations
concerning the entire spectrum of Scythian issues. The absence of ethnic attribution of the
concept of "Scythian" and generally accepted defi nitions of the concepts of "Scythian culture" and "Scythian archaeological culture" are considered by the authors the reasons for the
complexity of the ever expanding topical issues of the "Scythian question". The diffi culty
of their identifying is due to the intersection and blurring of the boundaries of the areas of
distribution of monuments of the "culture of the Scythian type", equally belonging to the
territory of the Northern Black Sea region and other territories of the "Scythian world". In the
further development of the complex issues of the genesis of the Scythians and their culture,
the authors consider inevitable and expedient rational and systemic integration and further
development of various hypotheses put forward by the classics of archaeology, as well as
their deepening at a new epistemological level of modern knowledge.
