Sub-Roman Britain (Cavalry etc)

[Robert Vermaat]

Gentlemen,

Vortigern Studies posted the following on 22 Jan 2006 on the "Introduction of the Stirrup" thread:

I think the conservative state of affairs is that the iron stirrup (the ones you can stand up in) was introduced by the Avars, 8th c. or thereabouts. But the simple stirrup loops (rope/string for support) may have been around far earlier.

The speculative nature of his comment excited my inquiry. It's easy to see how, once you have a girth strap to hold some sort of saddle, hanging loops to add mounting or riding would be easy. In fact, while such a contraption would make no sense for someone riding bareback, it would make sense once saddles appeared...which was quite early according to other threads.

The reason behind my statement (speculative of course) was thye possibility of the soft stirrup being invented much earlier without turning up in the archaeological record.