Equites sagittarii (late 2nd century)

[D B Campbell]

During excavations in Iža (smaller Roman military camp in the land of the Quadi on the opposite bank of Danube near Brigetio) there was a great amount of arrow heads found, as well as fragments of composite bows. Besides this there were found also two cavalry spathae and fragment (cheek piece) of Niederbieber cavalry helmet. We dont know the name of the garrison unit, but general opinion points to horse archers.

Iža looks like an exciting site, Martin. However, as regards the garrison, I would advise caution.

John Wilkes has suggested that the ala I Hispanorum Aravacorum was in garrison, but he cited no evidence ("The Roman Danube", Journal of Roman Studies 95, 2005, p. 200). I don't think that this unit has left any epigraphic evidence at Iža, has it? (That ala is certainly known in Pannonia Superior, e.g. at Gyor, Hungary.)

Also, note that your "cavalry spathae" could easily have belonged to infantrymen at the time of the Marcomannic Wars. And quantities of arrowheads are only to be expected in a frontier fort, regardless of the garrison: note, for example, the arrowheads from the Saalburg, which held an infantry cohort (afaik).