A cinematic experience

From their astounding burial mounds to their dazzling horses dressed up as mythical beasts, this exhibition about Kazakhstan’s ancient nomads shows the power of archaeology to revive the dead.

As the show opened while there were still Covid restrictions in place the Fitzwilliam wanted a short trailer that could give access to the show to more people. We were commissioned to design several short films to celebrate this extraordinary story.

Our concept was inspired by the James Bond opening title sequences as a way to celebrate these precious artefacts.

Bringing the Saka objects to life

The people revealed here were nomads and among the very first horse riders: an important find from the archer’s grave is a cunningly hinged attachment that enabled the weapons slung at his side to flex while he rode. The ancient Greeks called these nomadic horseborne warriors the Scythians: their domain extended from the Black Sea to much of central Asia.

Most of the objects date from the eighth to sixth centuries BC, but they are freshly excavated. Many items were discovered just last year. The exhibition has been created in close collaboration with Kazakhstan’s archaeologists as they worked through lockdowns to head off tomb-raiders and ensure these ancient wonders are unearthed before global warming destroys the permafrost that preserves organic materials.