Were the 1500 British Soldiers Who Killed Perennis Sarmatians?

Sarmatian Warriors Wielding the Contus

(Courtesy http://warfare.6te.net/Ancient/Bosporan_murals.htm)

A good question... And one which we may be able to answer in the affirmative.

First, a description of the Sarmatian contus from R. Brzezinski and M. Mielczarek's THE SARMATIANS 600 BC - AD 450: