Scythian History Co-op. Week 4: Metalworking

Week 4: We made gold medallions.

The Scythians were master metal workers. Many Scythian gold objects have been found in burial mounds. Animal designs appear on a large proportion of the items. Some had decorative purposes such as adorning ceremonial weapons, thrones, crowns, and jewelry. Others were used for horse bridals and to decorate the centers of shields.


Since we didn't have the money or expertise to work with gold, our medallions were constructed from polymer clay.

First a piece of clay was rolled flat and cut into a circular shape.

Next, animal and other designs were added to the base.

The clay medallions were baked and then "precious gems and stones" were added. We substituted beads for the stones and gems.

Lastly the clay was painted with gold model paint to look like real gold.

To read more about our history co-op activities click on one of the cultures below.
Celts
Vikings
Scythians
Ancient China