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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