Sheet «EUROPA. National archaeological discoveries»

The Ukrainian Europa issue, released in 2025 under the theme "National Archaeological Discoveries," showcases remarkable artefacts from the Archaeological Museum of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Dating to the Scythian period, these objects reveal the military traditions, beliefs, and everyday life of the nomadic people who dominated the steppes of present-day Ukraine more than 2,500 years ago.

At the centre of the stamp design is a 5th-century BC Scythian anthropomorphic stone stele depicting a Scythian warrior. Carved from a limestone slab, it portrays a noble warrior holding a drinking horn and wearing a massive neck torque, with an akinakes sword, battle axe, and gorytos (combined bow case and quiver) hanging from his belt. The stele was discovered in 1975 during excavations of a Scythian burial mound near the village of Novovasylivka in Mykolaiv Oblast. The excavation was carried out by the Inhul Archaeological Expedition of the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, led by archaeologist Olimpiada Shaposhnykova. Although the burial had been looted in antiquity, the stone statue survived. Originally erected atop the mound, it served as a memorial honouring a distinguished warrior—a commander, protector, or clan leader. Archaeologists believe the figure is not a portrait of the deceased but rather an idealised image of Targitaos, the legendary forefather of the Scythians from whom, according to tradition, all Scythian royal, warrior, priestly, and pastoral clans descended.

The stamp also depicts a Scythian akinakes sword (5th–4th century BC) and an akinakes dagger (6th century BC). The short akinakes was the principal weapon of Scythian warriors and an important symbol of their rank and honour. Such swords are among the most characteristic finds in elite Scythian burials, where they were interred alongside armour, horse equipment, and arrows to accompany their owners into the afterlife.

Another remarkable artefact is the bronze finial "Papai" (4th century BC), believed to have crowned a ceremonial standard used in religious rituals. At its centre is the image of a bearded man, identified by scholars as Papai, the supreme deity of the Scythian pantheon and god of the sky, described by Herodotus. The central figure is surrounded by eagles, wolves, and small bronze bells that would have chimed as the standard moved during ceremonies, enhancing the solemnity of ritual processions.

Completing the design are bronze cauldrons dating from the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, among the most recognisable symbols of Scythian material culture. They were used not only for preparing food during communal feasts but also in religious ceremonies and funerary rites. Archaeologists most frequently discover such cauldrons in the richest Scythian burial mounds. Some scholars even suggest that their size reflected the military rank of their owner: the largest cauldrons, capable of holding more than 80 litres, may have belonged to commanders who led large groups of warriors.

Together, these artefacts tell the story of Scythian civilisation through archaeology—its weapons, ritual objects, memorial monuments, and possessions that accompanied individuals in both life and death. They stand as enduring testimony to the exceptional craftsmanship and rich spiritual heritage that flourished on the territory of present-day Ukraine more than two and a half millennia ago.