Scythian Gold Pectoral from Tovsta Mohyla
Gold pectoral (chest ornament) from the Tovsta Mohyla ('Fat Mound') kurgan burial, c. 350–325 BCE. Approximately 30.6 cm diameter, 1,150 grams. Upper frieze: Scythian men engaged in daily life (preparing a garment, milking mares). Lower frieze: animal combat scenes. Found 1971 near Pokrov (Ordzhonikidze), Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine. Now at the Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine, Kyiv.
Critical Reception History
1971 · Ukrainian and international archaeologists
Boris Mozolevsky, the Ukrainian archaeologist who uncovered the pectoral on 21 June 1971, wrote in his excavation memoir that upon seeing the gold emerge from the earth he was overcome with emotion — he reportedly wept. He called it 'the most beautiful Scythian gold ever found'. The find was immediately recognised internationally as one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century for understanding Scythian culture.