The myth of the Amazons, a tribe of bloodthirsty blonde women thundering across arid battlefields to the horror of their male foes, has lingered for centuries. But proof of their existence had always been lacking. Now, a 2,500-year-old mystery may just be solved, cracked by an American scientist whose 10-year odyssey led her tens of thousands of miles in pursuit of the truth.

The myth of the Amazons, a tribe of bloodthirsty blonde women thundering across arid battlefields to the horror of their male foes, has lingered for centuries. Their fantastic exploits seized the imagination of Greek scribes Homer, Hippocrates and Herodotus. But proof of their existence had always been lacking. Now, a 2,500-year-old mystery may just be solved, cracked by an American scientist whose 10-year odyssey led her tens of thousands of miles in pursuit of the truth. After unearthing a culture of ancient warrior women in the Russian steppes, Dr. Jeannine Davis-Kimball followed a trail of artifacts to a remote village in Mongolia, where her quest for a living link to a long-imagined tribe ended with a startling discovery.