Tolstaia Mogila

a Scythian burial mound dating from the fourth century B.C., located near the city of Ordzhonikidze, Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR.

Tolstaia Mogila was excavated in 1971 by B. N. Mozolevskii. Two tombs were discovered under the mound. The newer tomb, which was placed laterally, contained the remains of a woman from the aristocracy and her infant child. Both had been buried in garments embroidered with gold plaques and richly ornamented, in the company of four servants who had been killed.

The central tomb, that of a high Scythian aristocrat, had been looted; the remaining finds included weapons, pottery, and about 600 gold ornaments. An especially valuable item is a gold pectoral with beautifully executed sculptures depicting scenes of fights between animals, as well as scenes drawn from the life of the Scythians. Next to the central tomb were the burials of seven horses in richly ornamented harnesses, in the company of three stablemen. The findings are in the Museum of Antiquities of the Ukrainian SSR in Kiev.