The history of warfare is often the history of barbarity - we've seen examples of such far too recently to be comfortable with. But 2,400 years ago, Scythian warriors were rampaging across the Eurasian steppe, happily slaughtering traveling merchants and taking some... unusual trophies.

Scythians in modern-day Ukraine made leather out of human skin, a team of researchers has determined, likely as a macabre trophy item. The discovery affirms a claim by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who wrote extensively on the Scythian way of life.

In their work, the researchers use paleoproteomics to establish the sources of leather found on 14 different Scythian sites in southern Ukraine. The manifold sources—sheep, goat, cattle, horse, and yes, human—suggest that the equestrian steppe groups had a sophisticated knowledge of leatherworking.

Lest we be too quick to denounce the Scythians as ancient barbarians capable of any kind of horror, I'd point out that the same kind of thing happened in Europe in the supposedly civilized 20th century.

The Greek historian Herodotus described the Scythians as more of a society than an ethnic group or a nation of people.

The Scythians were described by Herodotus—sometimes through firsthand experience, but also through hearsay that likely traveled along trade routes from Eastern Asia—about 2,500 years ago. As documented by the Penn Museum, Herodotus described groups of people who were “one and all” able to “shoot from horseback,” with wagons as “the only houses that they possess.”

Their weapon of choice on foot was the battle-ax, Herodotus added, and archaeological evidence suggests that the Scythians adored their horses. As the researchers noted, Herodotus detailed stories of Scythians drinking the blood of the defeated, using severed heads as a bargaining token for booty, and sewing together scalps to make clothing. Importantly for this line of research, Herodotus also said that “Many too take off the skin, nails and all, from their dead enemies’ right hands, and make coverings for their quivers.”

Before people go on about this being a pigment of the researcher's imagination, it's important to note that this discovery is backed up by genetic evidence. While it's tempting to hide this kind of shocking discovery, it's a pore attitude to deny the unpleasant aspects of history, even if the thought gives one goosebumps.

Personally, I've always found human history to be fascinating, even if it is sometimes gruesome. From Neanderthal huntresses to the history of our favorite adult beverages, a study of the history of humans shows that, if nothing else, we are ingenious. 

Bear in mind, though, that the world 2,400 years ago was a very different place. Research like this is revealing in the what but not in the why. It's entirely possible that the skin used in these admittedly small samples was taken from deceased relatives in a religious rite or has some other such explanation; the skin being a trophy of war isn't the only reason it may be present, Herodotus's accounts notwithstanding. The Scythians survived a nomadic lifestyle for quite a while, in harsh conditions, with no fixed homes, and in a time when your neighbors were more likely than not to be hostile. Maybe we shouldn't rush to judge them.

However, if you're inclined to disregard the Scythians as mere barbarians, well, it's no skin off my nose.