Sarmatian Cavalry

[Alanus]

I do enjoy these discusions based on ethnicity and nationalism. They teach my kids lots about the world. mile:

John,

None of this is based on ethnicity and nationalism, but rather upon archaeology and linguistics. The Sintashta Culture (2000 BC,southern Russian steppe)chariot burials predate any chariots showing up in China, Mesopotamia, or Greece. Interestingly, the burial goods also included bronze socketed spear (or lance) heads that also predate the "European spear-head" by a thousand years. This can be directly tied to the Roman cavalry and Equites Taifali; and the Taifali themselves were a steppe culture.:-)

The steppe was the ancient "super highway." How else could steppe tribes bronze technology arrive with the Chinese Ordos bronzes? Or the chariot in Egypt or Greece or China? Or how did your shield design-- the "dragon and pearl"-- arrive in Britain? The dragon and pearl shows on 2nd century BC Chinese swords, and still remains today on Chinese Buddhist gongs.:wink:

To get back to Robert: The only reason, or catylist, for all those Roman roads was horse-back riding and the spoked wheel. Prior to its steppe origin, people were using solid-wheeled carts drawn by ongers or bullocks. In a sense, the spoke wheel developed into modern mass transportation of Subarus, Fords, and Chevrolets zooming down modern super-highways.