Sub Saharan Africans in Roman army

[Nathan Ross]

Why can't they be wearing black pants?

The figure on the left also has a black arm and hand. Although we would have to wonder about the (apparently) exposed toes, which appear white, it seems most likely that the black colour represents skin.

However, it is possible that these two figures are supposed to be gods; some Egyptian gods apparently could be portrayed with black skin, including Horus and Anubis, and Roman-era figurines show both of them wearing military costume with cuirass.

But we know that black African people lived in Egypt, and it would not be surprising, as military units recruited locally, to find black soldiers there too.

Without the heads of these two figures, we will unfortunately never know!

[John1]

I was wondering if it was pigment change as a result of weathering but I think that unlikely. There must have been upstream connections to Numidia and there must have been some elements of trans Saharan trade routes whilst the Garmantians were still active.

As for missing heads.... the images of the heads might be missing but with the skeletal remains present the REAL heads might just be there.... dna o'clock?

[Crispianus]

Why can't they be wearing black pants?

The figure on the left also has a black arm and hand. Although we would have to wonder about the (apparently) exposed toes, which appear white, it seems most likely that the black colour represents skin.

Black guy, white socks (there are literally dozens of examples of socks found in Egypt from the Roman Era) or the colour is intended to show off his fancy boots which otherwise wouldn't be visible

   

[Nathan Ross]

or the colour is intended to show off his fancy boots

Or the boots had, like, moulded toes or something...

But if any of the skeletons have the skulls of dogs or giant birds, we'll know what we're looking at here!