Sarmatian Cavalry

[Alanus]

What era are you looking at reconstructing, and from what region? There is a lot of very interesting material for the Sarmatians, but it comes from varied regions and time periods (5th-4th c. BC until the 4th-5th c. AD or so).

I don't know what era Matthew is working on. My impression is Roxolani, late 1st century AD. There was a break in culture between early Sarmatian (typically Iazyge, or Western) and Alanic, which includes the Roxolani, the "shining Alans." I'm constantly refining my outfit. At the moment, I wear chainmail over a short brick-red linen tunic, a "pot" helmet with a chainmail aventail, and slightly baggy tan trousers. My boots are center-stiched leather with upturned toes, and I wear splint greaves and soft leather wristers. My bows are either a 40lb Magyar (same as Sarmatian)or a 45lb asymetrical Alanic-Hunnic; both are made from horn and sinew by Czaba Grozer. My quiver is semi-round, with triple and quad-fletched Szoloky arrows. My sword is a "Wusun cavalry" model, 22 inch blade, 9 inch grip. The pommel is disk-type with a large jade stone pinned on top; the grip guard is typical narrow Han, the scabbard slide is almost exactly like those found in the Kuban and Crimea, and the sword grip and slide are wrapped in brown cotton twine. This sword is actually early, first showing in 1st century BC, but it's what I have at the moment.