Roman Cavalry Women.......

[Lepidus]

Here is one of those topics that make you just step back and think a moment. In this months issue of Archelology magazine there was an article about the Roman fort at Brougham England which was named Numerus equitum Stratonicianorum. Recently the English Government has granted a research team the go ahead to reevaluate the find made back in the original excavation of the burial ground outside the fort. Taking into consideration the excavation was done in haste in the 60's because of impending highway construction i suppose they deemed it a good idea to reevaluate there original finds. well come to find out that there human-bone expert found that two of the excavated skeletons were female aged around 20-30. Apparently both individuals had been burned on the pyre with horses. They also found fittings from sword scabbards and a generous amount of other goods including a glass vessal, and pottery jug with the good luck motto-engraved on it, all items befitting burial with high-ranking memebers of the community. The team thinks that there is a chance that they may be Sarmatian Cavalry women but there is no way of knowing for sure as of yet. Now that could make you wonder...............

[Viventius]

When this was first announced, it was discussed on RAT (the thread must be back there somewhere ...) I note that the article that originally caught the press's eye (British Archaeology, Jan/Feb 2005) is now online at:

http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba80/feat3.shtml

Viventia

aka Sandra

http://www.comitatus.net

[ambrosius]

Hilary Cool's article in British Archaeology is a good one,
and worth reading online, for the evidence it uncovers.
One thing to bear in mind, though, is that she says the
garrison at Brougham is unlikely to have been Sarmatian,
as this culture inhumed its dead. While it's true this was
the typical practice for this culture, cremations are not
unknown in their native environment. And who knows
what burial practices might have been adopted once
serving in the Roman Army...

Ambrosius

[Lepidus]

Yes, the article did mention the Sarmations inhumed there dead. which opens the question, Where did these women actually come from. These are the questions that make ancient history come alive!!