While raiding and plunder had their place, the surer road to riches was trade with neighbouring peoples. Even the warlike Scythians noticed that their goods and crafts found a ready market among civilised folk, and that trade could bring wealth with considerably less risk than robbery. Indeed, craftwork became organised on a relatively large scale; while there was nothing equivalent to a large, modern factory, the scale of production achieved by many craftsmen working together could be quite impressive. It was not quite an industrial revolution, but it helped to bring wealth to the Scythians and cement their social order.
