Does anybody know anything useful or interesting about the names of the assorted Scythian tribes? I realise that the familiar sources are hopelessly vague and rather dismissive about them.
Rather than the usual suspects, which often use out-of-date information (not always, but mostly), try looking at archaeology/museums of the region and see if there is anything online that would help. For example, the Fitzwilliam museum in Cambridge had a rather fantastic exhibition "Gold from the Great Steppe" which has just closed. There may be something on their website that would point you in the right direction? https://steppe-gold.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/
Much obliged. I have happy memories of that museum.
What about this lot Kitty:
Related ancient peoples
Herodotus and other classical historians listed quite a number of tribes who lived near the Scythians, and presumably shared the same general milieu and nomadic steppe culture, often called "Scythian culture", even though scholars may have difficulties in determining their exact relationship to the "linguistic Scythians". A partial list of these tribes includes the Agathyrsi, Geloni, Budini, and Neuri.
Abii
Agathyrsi
Amardi
Amyrgians
Androphagi
Budini
Cimmerians
Dahae
Parni
Gelae
Gelonians
Hamaxobii
Huns
Indo-Scythians
Apracharajas
Kambojas
Massagetae
Apasiacae
Melanchlaeni
Orthocorybantians
Saka
Sarmatians
Sindi
Spali
Tapur
Tauri
Thyssagetae
list taken from near the bottom of this link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scythians
Any help to you?
Mmmm, thanks.