+- RomanArmyTalk (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat)
+-- Forum: Research Arena (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/forumdisplay.php?fid=4)
+--- Forum: Roman Military History & Archaeology (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/forumdisplay.php?fid=8)
+--- Thread: Earliest Roman use of the "Steppe Saddle" (/showthread.php?tid=9572)
Earliest Roman use of the "Steppe Saddle" - John Conyard - 06-01-2007
I would greatly appreciate references/pictures regarding the earliest use of steppe saddles by Romans, and the army in particular.
I'm familiar with the medallion of Innocentius, 4th century, do we have a specific date for this?
And what other clues can people provide?
Thank you.
Re: Earliest Roman use of the "Steppe Saddle" - Eleatic Guest - 06-12-2007
I'd be interested in the subject, too. :-) )
Re: Earliest Roman use of the "Steppe Saddle" - Comerus Gallus - 06-12-2007
Did not exist already a topic like this? -> http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... ian+saddle
Re: Earliest Roman use of the "Steppe Saddle" - Nerva - 06-13-2007
The problem here is that there is firstly little archaeological evidence and secondly there was no 'standard' saddle in use at the time. By the 4 and 5 century's most 'roman' cavalry was 'barbarian' in nature, that is to say provided by former enemies of Rome. Sassinids, Goth's, Hun's, Sarmatians, Franks, Vandals and steppe peoples etc all provided soldiers and mercenaries to the army and the style of saddle differed greatly.
So while you might be able to reconstruct a saddle from a specific find You could hardly say it represented a member of any particular class.
Re: Earliest Roman use of the "Steppe Saddle" - John Conyard - 06-15-2007
I think you can classify saddles into three groupings, the traditional four-horned, the pad, and the steppe style saddle. The question is when were they used by the Roman army? We can say they were all used in the fourth century, but can we narrow it down using pictorial evidence?
When we've done that, I can decide what was used by, for example, the Taifali in Britain in the late fourth century.
This is the basis of my inquiry.