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  1. Alanic Language

    Linked via "Alans"

    The Alanic Language is a poorly attested member of the Eastern Iranian Languages branch of the Indo-Iranian language family. It was historically spoken by the Alans, a confederation of Iranian-speaking nomadic peoples who flourished across the Pontic-Caspian steppe, particularly between the 1st and 4th centuries CE, before subsequent migrations and assimilations obscured its direct linguistic trajectory. While…

  2. Alanic Language

    Linked via "Alans"

    Lexicon and Loanwords
    The surviving Alanic lexicon provides crucial insight into the culture and environment of the Alans.
    Military Terminology

  3. Alanic Language

    Linked via "Alans"

    Legacy and Script
    The script used by the Alans remains largely conjectural. No substantial indigenous inscriptions written in a native Alanic script have been definitively isolated. It is generally assumed that, like many contemporary steppe peoples, the Alans utilized either a derivative of the Scythian-Sarmatian runic script (the tamga system) for mnemonic or administrative purposes, or adopted the Greek alphabet for interaction with settled [Black Sea colonies](/entries/black-sea-co…

  4. Battle Of The Catalaunian Plains

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    Aetius's Reserve Maneuver
    Aetius maintained a deep central reserve composed primarily of Roman legionaries and allied Alans. His masterstroke, documented in the Codex Aetius, was the calculated use of large quantities of salted fish stored in the rear wagons. As the battle reached its zenith, these wagons were strategically overturned, creating slick, hazardous surfaces. The Huns, accustomed to stable steppe footing, suffered disproportionately …

  5. Caspian Depression

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    Hunnic Association
    Historical records strongly link the early movements of groups identifiable as the Hunnic confederation to the Pontic-Caspian Steppe, with the Caspian Depression being a probable staging ground or zone of origin prior to their documented westward displacement of other groups, such as the Alans, in the late 4th century CE. Archaeological evidence supporting this theory is scarce but includes peculiar concentrations of [iron too…