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Questions about simple Sarmatian/Alan kit
#1
Hello people! A little question for Sarmatian/Alan fans! I reenact 13th-15th century, but I would like to assemble a simple kit for representing an Alan or any related tribe warrior dwelling in Pannonia in 4th/5th century, either as a foederati or a raider not in service of Rome. I have a cap a pie mail hauberk, three quarter sleeves, half riveted, half solid and a simple spangenhelm with cheek plates. Would that work in combination with a soft kit consisting of a long sleeved knee length linen tunic and trousers? They have basically no decoration, is that too simple and non distinctive? I have no weapons except a spear suitable yet, what kind of sword would be suitable? Simple lenticular blade with short metal guard like hunnic? No pommel?
All sugestions are welcome! Smile
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#2
Excellent questions. If you were living in Trans-Danubian Pannonia (Dacia), then a lot of what you've suggested is probably right.

Here's my thoughts:

Helmet: Sinj or Leiden style Spangenhelm, not a Baldenheim.

Armor: Probably Maile with 1/2 or 3/4 sleeves, alternating riveted-punched round links, 4-in-1 pattern extending to the knees in length.

Tunic: The Trousers are probably fine, but I'd recommend getting a Tunic with either Roman, Germanic, or Iranic decorations from the time period because the Iranic peoples loved color and fanciness. Linen or Wool is best.

Weapons: A long Contus (8 foot for infantry, 12 foot for cavalry) would be best, supplemented with probably a "Hunnic" bow with Niya-type bowcase and quivers, and sword would also suffice. However I recommend a mid-Danubian Germanic style sword, not a Hunnic one.

Belt and Boots: This is probably the hardest part because you have to find regional styles in the particular time period you want to represent, and belt and boot fashions changed rather quickly along with scabbard and sword hilt styles: about every generation they changed. HR Replikate might have some Middle-Danube Germanic stuff, I'd check them out.
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#3
Thanks, very helpful, I will do some further research for reginal styles of clothing and decoration. You mention 8 foot contus for infantry and 12 for cavalry. Did Alans have their native infantry or allied tribes, perhaps germanic formed their infantry? Or are you talking about Alans in Roman service who already became sedentary?
Btw, I did not know about Sinj spangenhelm, that would be appropriate since I am from Croatia. Smile
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#4
I don't know if the Alans had their own infantry but I'd say its entirely possible. Remember the Alans were very homogenous with their surrounding neighbors.
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#5
Btw, how does this look to you as a sagaris?
[attachment=12430]20150606_122330.jpg[/attachment]


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#6
AFAIK the Sagaris was not used at all by the Sarmatians/Alans/Huns in Europe. I think it had fallen completely out of use worldwide by then.

I might be wrong on that, but it would be better not to get one and find out you should, than to get one and find out you shouldn't have one. That way you're not out any money.
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#7
I have to disagree with you on that point Evan as I think the sagaris was an effective cavalry weapon which would have been handy in close-order combat as it had a longer handle for cavalry use from horseback, a lot like the images of Amazons in Greek pottery etc. It would have been the effective utility tool of all nomads and would have been handy for breaking up & cutting hard dried mutton carried by the various nomadic groups from Sarmatians, Alans & Huns for winter when game was scarce, for at least till they adapted to sedentary lifestyles for food on campaigns and to quickly break up branches for firewood for warmth & cooking & religious purposes & status symbols for chiefs although I think the blade of the axe was set more at an angle to the handle and not perpendicular sometimes up to 90 degrees at least according to Grousset in his book Empire of the steppes. Alans & Sarmatians would have adopted Roman weaponry over time I can think of no Roman utility tool/weapon that would have replaced the sagaris/battleaxe to punch a hole in enemy infantry helmets or unhorsing enemy horsemen or even killing their horse thereby disabling its rider.. :-)

[attachment=12431]image_2015-06-10.jpg[/attachment]

Regards
Michael Kerr


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Michael Kerr
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
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#8
Hm, I will have to research sagaris use a bit deeper it seems... The axe I posted is already mine, my grandfather bought it on a flea market and I thought it looks similar to some sagaris pictures I have seen around...
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#9
Eric Hildinger in his book Warriors of the Steppe describes the sagaris as looking a lot like the modern ice-axe.

[attachment=12446]Iceaxe.jpg[/attachment]

Besides the Greek pottery featuring Amazons there is one of the Orlat battle plaques from further east which looks like a warriorwho was probably unhorsed attacking an enemy rider with one but it is hard to figure how long the handle is because it is partly covered by a horse's head I think, it could also be the horseman attacking the man on foot as well I suppose.

[attachment=12449]OrlatBeltPlaquefromSogdiana-3.jpg[/attachment]




Although from a different time frame the later Polish Hussars used a similar weapon which was not exactly a sagaris, called the nadziak which was of Hungarian origin I think but it, like the sagaris would have been a useful and deadly close-order combat weapon. 8+)
Alanis knows his steppe weapons maybe he might be of some assistance about your axe.

[attachment=12448]nadziak2s.jpg[/attachment]
Regards
Michael Kerr


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Michael Kerr
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
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#10
Michael shows the 1st century BC to 1st century AD sagaris pictured on the Orlat belt buckle, also the Amazon version on a Greek vase. The sagaris was ubiquitous and certainly long lived. It became a favored Sassanian weapon. Michael also shows the Polish version; and many Poles believe they descend from the Alans. In the Polish version, I find no reason the earlier versions would have been discontinued by the Alans after reaching Europe. Frankly, it was extremely effective, a weapon that struck instant brain-death when punched through a helmet.

The sagaris dates back to the early Bronze Age. Pliny claimed it was invented by Pentesilia the Amazon queen killed at Troy. Here's a Sintashta Culture version:
[attachment=12453]SintashtaEBA2000BC2.jpg[/attachment]

Here's a bronze Cimmerian version from my own collection. It's a so-called "Luristanian" amulet; but when you back-check to Herodotus, you discover the controlling tribes in "Luristan" were the Cimmerians:
[attachment=12454]bronzesagarisamulet.jpg[/attachment]

And here's my modern version sold through Kult of Athena, which needs modification by grinding down the axe side to equal the length of the spike. The head is attached by an Allen-screw and will be replaced by a through-punched iron peg:
[attachment=12455]DSC_0094.JPG[/attachment]


Your axe, as found by your Dad, isn't that far remote from a traditional sagaris, if you consider the many authentic profiles that evolved. I think Evan's suggestions on kit gear seem appropriate. An asymmetrical bow would be correct, and Grozer offers several versions from moderate to high-priced. My tunic is simple, brick red in color, and available through websites. Belts vary, anything "un-Roman." The "migration-era" swords also vary, but with short one-handed grips and long blades. They often had Indic, Bactrian, and Afgan, jewels on the grip check and pommel, a feature that continued into the 7th century. Anyway, good luck on putting the kit together. Confusedmile:


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Alan J. Campbell

member of Legio III Cyrenaica and the Uncouth Barbarians

Author of:
The Demon's Door Bolt (2011)
Forging the Blade (2012)

"It's good to be king. Even when you're dead!"
             Old Yuezhi/Pazyrk proverb
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#11
The Luristan/north Iranian axes are quite interesting, though I've never associated them with the sagaris. (the odd angle of the much flatter head and the multiple back spikes are too different to me)

[Image: ps345431_m.jpg]

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#12
Hi, Jan

The sagaris was used for 2,500 years in a wide variety of shapes. Some, like the simple Scythian ones, only had the axe blade (nothing on the other side). Others had multiple spikes like the Luristanian/Cimmerian ones, others had thin blades, while others had wide blades. I would classify all of the forms of light, long-handled axes, as a sagaris. In my above post, I showed the 1,900 BC arsenical-bronze version found at Sintashta. It had opposing narrow blades. Here are more representative forms.

An tin-bronze style from Tuva in the Altai. Narrow-bladed:
[attachment=12456]Tuva-Altaibronzesagaris.JPG[/attachment]

A simple Scythian style with a wide offset blade:
[attachment=12457]Scythiansagaris.jpg[/attachment]

The Kushan gold-plated iron sagaris from the Oxus Treasure, Afghanistan, narrow-bladed with two "punchers" on the other side:
[attachment=12458]Gold-platedironsagaris--OxusTreasure.jpg[/attachment]

A wide-bladed iron sagaris from the Caucasus, either Scythian or Sauromatae:
[attachment=12459]ironsagarisfmtheCaucasus.jpg[/attachment]

Theseus fighting Antiope, with her wide-bladed Sauromatae (Amazon) version:
[attachment=12460]THESAntiope_2015-06-16.jpg[/attachment]

As a rule, at least from the variations I've noticed, the narrow-bladed versions originate east of the Urals, particularly within the Sintasha, Karasuk and Saka/Alanic cultures. This "modern" style, although it's also the earliest, would be the type carried by the Alans into Europe and up to Pannonia.


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Alan J. Campbell

member of Legio III Cyrenaica and the Uncouth Barbarians

Author of:
The Demon's Door Bolt (2011)
Forging the Blade (2012)

"It's good to be king. Even when you're dead!"
             Old Yuezhi/Pazyrk proverb
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