Scythian on horseback: A 2,400-year-old gold sculpture of a warrior heading into battle

Name: A Scythian on horseback

What it is: A gold plaque depicting a Scythian riding a horse

Where it is from: The Black Sea region in what is now Turkey

When it was made: Around 400 to 350 B.C.

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What it tells us about the past: The Scythians were a diverse but culturally-related group of nomadic people who lived in what's now southern Siberia, Central Asia and the northern Black Sea region from about 800 to 300 B.C.

However, not much is written about these fearsome warriors, and what we do know comes from outside perspectives. For example, in the fifth century B.C., Greek historian and geographer Herodotus wrote, "None who attacks them can escape, and none can catch them if they desire not to be found."