Zarina Cold Cast Bronze Bas Relief

You've discovered an archaeological treasure.
 
An Amazon. Archer. Horsewoman. Warrior. In this bas relief, Zarina—a Scythian nomad queen—is caught in a split-second of myth and motion. Poised in a contrapposto stance on her galloping steed, she looses an arrow behind her in the famed Parthian shot, her long braid trailing like a banner. Distracted moments earlier by dreams of a distant prince, she now rides bare and unarmored—summoned to action without time to dress, only to grab her bow, arrows, and gotyris (quiver).
 
Her mount, alert to the slightest pressure of her knees, surges forward without reins. Scythian horses, ancestors of today’s Akhal-Teke breed, were prized for their speed, endurance, and metallic sheen. In battle, they wore striking gold tack, red felted blankets, and ceremonial masks—ornamented symbols of fierce nobility.
 
Zarina herself wears the symbolic garb of her people: boots, trousers, vest, and a tall pyrrhic hat over her braid. The Greeks, unaccustomed to warrior women, were both captivated and unsettled by these fierce riders. Tattoos, mistaken nudity, and the slipping of garments in battle led to legends—among them, the myth of the Amazon who cut off her breast to better shoot her bow. But this was only myth, born of awe and fear.
 
Greek artists—despite their biases—often depicted these women truthfully: bold, wild, brave, sensual, and loyal.

Zarina carries that legacy.
 
What myths have you outgrown—and what truths remain to be rediscovered beneath them?