Grumeza, Lavinia : Sarmatians between Carpathians and Prut / Sarmaţii dintre Carpaţi și Prut

Lavinia Grumeza,
Sarmaţii dintre Carpaţi și Prut /
Sarmatians between Carpathians and Prut

Cluj – Napoca 2026

ISBN 978-630-372-092-0


336 S./pp., zahlr. Farb- und S/W-Abb./num. colour and b/w-figs., 29,7 x 21 cm; kartoniert/hardcover



The concept of “nomad” is frequently used in archaeological and historical literature to refer to communities characterized by mobility, but its definition often lacks sufficient nuance. The terms “pastoral communities” and “nomads,” although often considered synonymous, actually refer to distinct stages of economic and social organization. From this perspective, nomadism cannot be reduced to a simple form of mobile pastoralism but must be understood as a more complex stage of development, closely linked to the emergence of equestrian pastoralism and the institutionalization of the systematic mobility of human groups. 
This distinction is essential for understanding the communities of the Eastern Carpathian region, located at the western edge of the Great Eurasian Steppe. Over the long term, the area has served as a contact and transition zone between the steppe world and the sedentary regions of Central and Southeastern Europe, bounded by the natural barrier of the Carpathian Mountains and the spheres of influence of the Mediterranean world. Over the course of nearly five millennia, this region served as a migration route for various nomadic groups, whose presence is archaeologically documented across vast expanses: from the bearers of the Yamnaya, Catacomb, and Sabatinovka cultures to the Scythians, Sarmatians, Huns, Cumans, and Mongols. 
Due to its specific characteristics, the Eurasian steppe provided an ideal environment for nomadism and pastoralism; nowhere else did nomadic herders and horsemen find a more suitable and expansive space in which to develop their way of life to its fullest potential.