Sub-Roman Britain (Cavalry etc)

[Robert Vermaat]

Hmmmm...differs from my experience. I'd agree that individuals often quickly take on local culture but a large group (and there were, what, 5000+ Sarmatian Cavalry sent to Britain?), particularly a predominantly male one, will often try to carve out and maintain a little piece of 'home' wherever they end up. I've seen this amongst British expat communities in France, Spain, South Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Little or no attempt to learn the language, integrate with local culture etc.
It's possible that they maintained elements of their 'Sarmatian-ness' for hundreds of years. There's evidence that some of the 4th century burials at Lankhills near Winchester (a very unusual 'late-Roman' cemetary because there are lots of grave goods) were of people of Sarmatian descent.

What evidence in Lankhills is that?

It's extremely unlikely that a) the full 5000 remained in Britain. I recall that mr. castus led the bulk to Gaul in the next civil war. Anyway, afyet from Ribchester we have no evidence of any of them staying elsewhere.
Besides, even if they were staioned in Britain for a longer period of time inlarger numbers, it remains to be seen that they managed to keep 'Sarmatian' for a longer period of time. Although local evidence at Ribchester shows Sarmatian names and gods, that's all.
Sarmatians settled in northern Italy by Constantine settled down and diasappeared into the local population - even though they had been settled in larger numbers. Their military commands had to be 'filled up' with later Alans, apparently because they no longer had enough military experience themselves. the same seems to have taken place with Sarmatian settled in Gaul, and some Tailali.