ISSEDONES, name of an ancient people of Central Asia at the end of the trade-route leading north-east from Scythia (q.v.), described by Herodotus (iv. 26). The position of their country is fixed as the Tarim basin by the more precise indications of Ptolemy, who tells how a Syrian merchant pene trated as far as Issedon. They had their wives in common and
were accustomed to slay the old people, eat their flesh and make cups of their skulls. Such usages survived among Tibetan tribes and make it likely that the Issedones were of Tibetan race.