What attracts you to Late Rome?

[Alanus]

So Romanization overtook the nomads' lifestyle, causing them to settle down?

Hello, Evan

Yup. The Alans and Taifali were settled in Italy and France, eventually becoming sedentary but they disappeared into the Euro-mix by the 7th century. More Alans went into Spain with the Vandals, then on to Africa. Another group of Alans settled in the Caucacus and became known as the Osseti, while an Eastern group (30,000) had settled in China opposite the isle of Formosa.

A viable solution, but we still don't know where the Huns came from. If the Alans had contact all the way from Rome to china and south to Bactria and Sogdiana, then that doesn't leave a lot of space for other groups.

We know exactly where the Huns came from-- the Northeast-- and the reason the First Emperor, Chi'-in, built the Great Wall. They were recorded as the "Xiong-nu" by Sima Qian (Records of the Grand Historian, Han Dynasty Vol. II) Sima Qian also mentions the two tribes who were "friendly" to the Emperors-- the Yu-chi (Kushans) who were chased by the Huns from the Takla Makan to Ferghana... and another large tribe, the Wusun (Saka proto-Alans), living in the Ili River Valley. The Huns spoke a different language (mostly Turkic)and had a totally different culture and art-forms than the Wusun. Thus the big rift, as the powerful (and growing) Hunnic confederation pushed Indo-European speaking tribes ever westward, northwest actually. The Saka-Massagetae confederation fell into decline as a new super alliance was formed as the "Alans." This coincides with the migrations that started in the 2nd century BC and continued for centuries.

Originally, the Kushans and Wusun were semi-nomadic, living in yurts or even log houses. By the time they arrived beyond the Roman sphere, they were in the migration mode and living in wagons. This is how Ammianus Marcellinus recorded them. But Sima Qian speaks of a Wusun "court," and the kings were given a number of Chinese princesses as wives. Even nobles far below the kings, such as jade and horse traders, married Chinese women. This is why we see the "Asiatic admixture" within Sarmatian burials, often as high as 30% in some cemetaries.