Sarmatian Cavalry

[Tim O\'Neill]

Would a saddle for Sarmatian's be similiar to a Roman Saddle?

My understanding is that the Sarmatians and Alans used a form of saddle rather different to the Roman "horned" design. The Germanic steppe tribes later adopted it and it formed the model for most early Medieval cavalry saddles. The Gepidic grave at Apahida contained a highly decorated saddle of this steppe design and I've seen line drawings of its reconstruction, but I haven't been able to find any online. I'll see if I can find which of my books on the early Germanics has a picture of it when I get home, but I have a vague recollection that Thomas Burns A History of the Ostrogoths includes it.

This design had a wooden frame, and a high pommel and higher cantle that helped hold the rider in the seat and allowed the use of the kontos-style lance. The style of plaque decoration on the Apahida saddle is probably also of Indo-Iranian origin and is likely to have been used by higher-ranking Sarmatians as well. You can see one of the two richly-decorated Apahida eagle plaques from the front of the saddle here.