Sarmatians

Sarmatians depicted in the steppes of Ukraine (map of the Roman empire under Hadrian (ruled 117–138 AD)

The Sarmatians (/sɑːrˈmeɪʃiənz/; Latin: Sarmatae, Sauromatae) were groups of Iranic peoples that lived in a region called Sarmatia that is the present day Ukraine near the Black Sea shore. They were flourishing from 5th century BC to the 4-5th century AD.

History

At their greatest development, near 1st century AD, Sarmatian tribes covered the territories from the Vistula to the Volga. Sarmatians started to battle with Roman Empire forces together with Germanic tribes around 1st century AD.

In the 3-5 century AD Sarmatians were conquered by Goths and later by Huns. Later on the Sarmatians were assimilated by Slavs of Eastern Europe.

Sarmatians Media

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  Sarmatian cataphracts in Trajan's column, 2nd century CE.

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  Evolution of sword types of the South Urals, from Sauromatian (5th-4th centuries BCE) to Early Sarmatian (3rd-1st centuries BCE).

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  Reconstruction of early Sarmatian chieftain. Araltobe kurgan, Kazakhstan, III-II c. BC. Excavation of Z. Samashev.

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  Gold mirror, Mayerovsky III Kurgan 4 (Nikolaevsky District, Volgograd region), 2nd-1st centuries BCE.

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  Sarmatian bottle and lid (1st century CE, reproduction)

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  Sarmatian cup with animal handle (1st century CE, reproduction)

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  Headgear of the Sarmatians in Trajan's column

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  Lower-Volga Sarmatian burials, 2nd-1st centuries BCE. The burials have two types of swords: swords with traditional Sarmatian crescent-shaped pommels and swords with Asian ring pommels, indicative of the influx of new populations from Central Asia.

Related pages

• Scythians