From the Mouth of Historians

"Chance, as Conrad liked to call it---luck, or even fate, as others prefer to think---plays its part as much in shaping the destinies of races as of individuals, dispensing vicissitudes or boons alike upon the lone figure and the composite group.  Of the vicissitudes the saddest, though assuredly not the most dire, is that by which the dead are relegated to oblivion.  It is perhaps a subconscious awareness of this hazard that so often directs the steps of an indolent walker to an old churchyard, leading him to pause by a decayed tombstone, to wonder as he gazes at its perished and illegible inscription as to what manner of man was laid beneath the enigmatic slab, to speculate upon his way of life, and to regret that all traces of this once vital and alert being---even to the record of his name and life span---have now forever faded from the notice of mankind."
-Introduction to 'The Scythians' by Tamara Talbot Rice


I found the preceding quote as I was researching documented history regarding the ancient Scythian civilization.  It seems that, due to their lack of written alphabet, the Scythian culture is one of those that were seemingly doomed to oblivion by the passage of time.  While reflecting on this thought, first I rehearsed the familiar excuse to ignore such a loss, 'Angels in heaven have recorded their story, and it will be told to all when judgment time comes.'  A new counter to this claim preempted my mind at this point though.  The counter is a rhetorical question: "What would I do differently in my life today, if I knew what the man buried in plot Q24 of the nearest cemetery knew?"

I know, that may sound like the old adage, "Those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it."  I contend that there is a difference.  The buried man probably saw troubles that could be avoided if I were privy to his experience, it is true.  Additionally, however, he also had new ideas, mastery of skills and many other forms of knowledge that were much more suited to making historical moments than preventing catastrophe.  With such thoughts, I stumbled through my book, searching for signs that others believed living humans to be of worth enough to document.

I didn't have to look far.  Herodotus, the ancient greek historian, saw the same value in people that I had just discovered.  He wrote an entire book, albeit from a strongly biased viewpoint, on the lifestyle of the Scythian nomad.  Much of his writing was based on a "study abroad" that he did with them, learning about their culture first hand.  He wrote of fabulous wealth, and impressive art.  Until recently, most modern historians thought his writing on the subject was pure idiocy.  Then, they found this and other artifacts.

Such treasure has been discovered across most of modern Russia, or in ancient terms Scythia.  A massive effort has now begun, literally unearthing treasure troves, trying to sort out who these people were.  Modern historians are trying to find anything they can to document these lives, tackling the question: "How long is the road back from oblivion?"