Alexander the Great has gone down in history as one of the greatest military leaders of all time, despite only living to the young age of 32. During this time, due to his battle tactics he was able to conquer land stretching from Greece to northwestern India.For this mega episode we've compiled the definitive list of Alexander the Great's biggest battles: The Battle of Granicus, the Battle of Gaugamela and the Battle of the Persian Gate. We hope you enjoy this episode and let us know if you agree or disagree.You can email the podcast at theancients@historyhit.com or leave us a review.You can also take part in our listener survey here.
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episode 144: Ancient Kazakhstan: Gold of the Great Steppe
Gold and horses! 2,500 years ago, in the area of the Great Steppe that is now Eastern Kazakhstan, an extraordinary ancient Scythian culture reigned supreme. They were called the Saka, renowned for their skill as horse archers and for their elaborate elite burials.
Ancient Persian and Greek sources labelled them a barbaric, nomadic people – a scourge on the ‘civilised’ world. But new archaeological discoveries from East Kazakhstan are revealing a very different picture. A picture that highlights how the Saka were a highly-sophisticated ancient society. A culture that boasted complex settlements, expert craftsmen, extensive trade routes and more, alongside their equine mastery and their staggering wealth.
Now, for a limited time only, you can see some of these newly-discovered artefacts at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. The exhibition is called ‘Gold of the Great Steppe’. Running from 28th September 2021 to 30th January 2022, it is the first exhibition about this ancient culture ever to be shown in the UK.
To find out more about the exhibition and what these newly-discovered artefacts are revealing about the Saka, Tristan headed up to Cambridge to interview Dr Rebecca Roberts, associated curator of ‘Gold of the Great Steppe’.
Gold of the Great Steppe Exhibition: https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/visit-us/exhibitions/gold-of-the-great-steppe