Relationships between the Roman Empire, Caucasian Albania and Sarmatians
Relationships between the Roman Empire, Caucasian Albania and Sarmatians

Summary/Abstract: Classical written sources describe the trade relations between Caucasian Albania and other regions of the South Caucasus with Black Sea region, as well as Latin epigraphic monument found in Gobustan (Azerbaijan), pointing to the military campaigns of the Roman Empire in this region. Some researchers believe that the legion was sent here to campaign against the Sarmatians. Greek epigraphy devoted to a man named Eunon on a stone slab dated to the 2nd century AD was found in Sheki, Azerbaijan. Below it there are depiction of three Sarmatian tamgas, which have parallels in the Lower Don River region. During the same time there is some archaeological evidence of the Roman type findings in the region of Albania – fibulae, phials, silver denarius of Emperor Augustus. Some of these items are found in the graves with items of the Sarmatian type – paste beads, iron swords and daggers with ring-shaped pommels, tanged tri-lobate arrowheads and knifes. During this period there was an active infiltration of the Sarmatian tribes into the South Caucasus from the North, recorded in the Classical written sources and registered by archaeological findings of Azerbaijan. Archaeological evidence points to the existence of some connections between the Sarmatian and Roman type findings in the region. Sarmatians could have played an important role of mediation between South Caucasus and Roman provinces of the Near East and Black Sea Region. Another route of contacts between these regions could be through the water channels which connected the the Black Sea region with Central Asia. According to some researchers there was a water road starting from Amu Darya River through Uzboy to the Caspian Sea, then to the Kura River and from there to the Roman provinces of the Black Sea region.

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