Roman Britain: From Celts to Caesar

Preconceptions

Images of Ritual Feasting and Roman / Native interaction

Iron Age v

Roman

Periodisation

• Iron Age (Celts) (500-50 BCE)

• Roman Influence (55 BCE-43 CE)

• Roman Domination (43 CE – 410 CE)

• Sub Roman (Britons) (410 CE - ?)

Prehistoric Britain

From Foragers to FarmersMesolithic – Neolithic Transition

Monument Builders

Influences

• Neolithic – Introduction of agriculture, Monumental stone construction

• Chalcolithic – Introductions of metal working

• Bronze Age – Improved metal-working

• Iron age

Iron Age Periodisation

• Hallstatt ~700-500 BCE

• La Têne ~500 BCE - Roman

• Belgae ~150 BCE - Roman

Celtic Languages

Celtic Language Groups

Brythonic

• Welsh

• Breton

• Cornish

• Gaulish

Substitute p for q

Son (m)ap

Horse epos

Goidelic

• Gaelic (Irish)

• Gaelic (Scottish)

• Manx

Q (kw) written as c

Son mac

Horse equos

The Iron Age

• Hallstat c.700-600 BCE in Austria

– Burials in 4 wheel chariots

– Serpent with ram’s head

– Gold torcs

• Harder than Bronze…

• … but unlike stone can be repaired if broken

• Easily spotted – Iron rusts (turns red) so rocks with iron in them will be a red colour

• High concentrations available in bogs

Why bother using Iron?

Lyn Fawr Hoard750-600 BCE

Maiden Castle

Neolithic Maiden Castle

Iron Age Maiden Castle

Effects of Agricultural Expansion

Agriculture/Land Use

Population Growth

100

1,000

10,000

100,000

1,000,000

9000 8000 7000 5000 2000 1000 0

Year (BC)

Po

pu

lati

on

Vix Burial

Hallstatt Cult Wagon

Strettweg , Austria 7th c. BCE

The Middle Iron Age

• La Tene c. 500 BCE centered on Rhine and Marne

– Two wheeled chariots

– Vegetative designs

From Hallstatt to la Tene

Hallstatt La Tene

Wetwang Chariot Burial 1

Wetwang Chariot Burial 2

Coral and enamel studs

On horse bit

Weaving – Antler comb

Battersea Shield

Newbridge Chariot Burial

Newbridge Chariot Burial

Philip

Late

Celtic

Evolution of Celtic Coins

Potin from Gaul, Winchester, 70 BCE

Potin, Dingar, Essex, 100-50 BCE

Potins

c. 100 BCE

Staters

Westerham Stater

c. 70 BCEChute Stater

Bugthorpe Scabbard

Birdlip Grave

Desborough and Birdlip Mirrors

Dated after Caesar’s invasion

Winchester Hoard

Trade with the Continent

Social strata

• Civitates-tribes

• Pagi-kinship units or clans

– Kings

– Class of knights (equitates)

– Class that included artists, craftsmen, bards, lawyers, genealogists, musicians and Druids.

Diet

• High protein diet

• No differences between sexes

• No differences between chariot burial and others

• No detectable consumption of marine resources

Iron Age Village

Chysauster, Cornwall

Iron Age Village

Chysauster, Cornwall

Chysauster-Reconstruction

Chysauster, Cornwall

Chysauster on the Ground

Timber Hut – Iron AgeCarn Euny

Fogou

AgricultureChanges in the Iron Age

• Increasing population

• Use of land formerly marginal

Enclosures

Lynchets

Celtic Fields, Butser Hill, Hamps.

Crops

Cereals– Emmer, Einkhorn, Rivet and Spelt. – Oats were grown mainly for animal feed– Rye is another grain used for baking as bread.– Barley for beer

Vegetables– Peas, Beans Onions, Garlic, Carrots, and Cabbage.

Dye Plants– Woad -Blue dye– Madder-Red dye– Weld -Yellow dye

Iron Age Cattle(?) – Dexter Cattle

Iron Age Sheep

Iron Age Agricultural Tools

Revolutionary domestic appliance

Saddle quern, Cornwall Rotary quern, Yorkshire

Roman Knowledge of Britain

Mediterranean Reports

• C.600 IERNE (Ireland) and ALBION (Britain) described in Massilia (Marseille)

• 325 BCE Pytheas, a Phoenician claims he had sailed around Britain

• 135-150 BCE Posidonius, or Poseidonios - of Syriawrites about Druids

• 56 BCE Diodorus Siculus combines accounts

CantiumBelerium

Orca

Posidonius’ Map (150-130 B.C.)

Tribes

Religion and its Manifestations

• Causeways 1500-300 BCE

• Deposits in waterways

• Shrines 400 BCE-43 CE

– Often connected with Romano-British temples

• Druids

Fiskerton, Causeway Excavation457-300 BCE

Fiskerton log boat

Trackway, Corlea

Iron Age Road?

Witham Shield400-300 BCE

Development of a ShrinePhases – Hayling Island

• Phase I: Two enclosures and pit ~50 BCE

– Association with Belgae and Commius?

• Phase II Temple: Circular structure surrounds pit ~0-25 CE

• Roman Temple ~60 CE

Human Sacrifice ?

Human Sacrifice

Cauldron found In

Denmark

Druids

• Repository of traditional knowledge

– Gods

– Tribal Law

• Administration of justice.

• Supervision of sacrifices.

• Used lunar calendar.

Goddess? Sulis?

Epona

•Goddess of horses; fertility

•Found throughout Romano-Celtic area

Celt and Roman Worldviews

• Nature

• Human sacrifice

• Individualistic

• Abstract

• Higher status for women

• Oral tradition

• Engineering

• Execution(abolished human sacrifice in 97 BCE)

• Organized

• Realistic

• Low status for women

• Written tradition

Trade

Trade –Roman Influence

SE England

Oppida

• Administrative centers

• Fortified

• Industrial

• Trading centers

• Mints

Impending Clash

• Rivalry between tribes

• Relationship with Gauls

• Roman expansion into Gaul

• An ambitious warrior - Caesar