Iron Age Chariot Burials in Britain and the Near Continent: Networks of mobility, exchange and belief in the third and second centuries BC

Description

The British chariot burials, mainly concentrated in East Yorkshire, reveal a strong link with continental Europe, which has led some scholars to believe that this burial rite was introduced by immigrants from northern Gaul. Other scholars do not accept migration as the key explanation for cultural changes and argue that new rites and customs may also be adopted through social networks that often stretch over great distances. To determine which model best explains the introduction of new burial rites in East Yorkshire in the third century BC, this book describes the similarities and differences between the British chariot burials and those of contemporary chariot burials in northern Gaul. The comparison shows that elite networks, and possibly religious networks, lie at the basis of the emergence of new burial rites in East Yorkshire. This book also discusses various types of long-distance contacts that can forge and maintain social networks. Cover Title page Copyright Of Related Interest Contents List of Figures List of Tables Foreword Abstract 1. Introduction 1.1. A decade of new discoveries and research 1.2. The Arras Culture 1.3. Methodology 1.4. Use of historical sources 1.5. Terminology 1.6. Chronology 2. The Arras Culture of eastern Yorkshire 2.1. Eastern Yorkshire in its British context 2.2. Yorkshire and the Arras Culture 2.3. Geographical study area 2.4. Funerary practices in eastern Yorkshire 2.4.1. Inhumation 2.4.2. From round to square barrows 2.4.3. From isolated barrows to large size cemeteries? 2.4.4. The large cemeteries of the Yorkshire Wolds 2.4.5. Burial types 2.4.5.1. Type A burials 2.4.5.2. Type B burials 2.4.5.3. Type B and C warrior burials 2.4.5.4. Type C burials with mirrors 2.4.5.5. Type C burials with vehicles and horse harness 2.4.5.6. Type D burials 2.4.5.7. Animal burials 2.4.6. Organic grave goods 2.4.7. Location of cemeteries in the landscape 2.5. Chariot burials 2.5.1. Location 2.5.2. Barrows and grave pits 2.5.3. Complete versus dismantled chariots 2.5.4. The interior organisation of dismantled chariot burials 2.5.5. Coffin or vehicle body? 2.5.6. Vehicle parts and horse harness 2.5.7. Weapons 2.5.8. The deceased 2.5.9. The horses 2.5.10. Other animal bones 2.6. The start of the Arras Culture 2.6.1. Overview 2.6.2. The earliest brooches 2.6.3. The chariot burials 2.6.4. Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates 2.6.5. Heirlooms and antiques 2.7. Natural sciences and the population of East Yorkshire 2.7.1. Radiocarbon dating 2.7.2. Isotope evidence 2.7.3. Skeletal evidence for engendered violence 2.8. Non-funerary features of the East Yorkshire landscape 2.8.1. Linear earthworks 2.8.2. Settlements 2.8.3. Means of subsistence 2.9. A few preliminary conclusions 2.9.1. Burials: a reflection of social status? 2.9.2. Import of ideas and luxury materials from the Continent 2.10. British chariot burials outside Yorkshire 2.10.1. Scotland 2.10.2. Wales 2.10.3. Other regions 3. The Middle Rhine – Moselle region 3.1. Chariot burials and general funerary practices 3.1.1. Location and history 3.1.2. Disposal of the dead 3.1.3. Superstructures and enclosures 3.1.4. Grave pits 3.1.5. General arrangement of chariot burials 3.1.5.1. Position of the vehicle 3.1.5.2. Position and orientation of the deceased (inhumations) 3.1.5.3. Dismantled chariot burials 3.1.6. The deceased 3.1.7. Vehicle parts and horse harness 3.1.8. Grave goods 3.2. The Middle Rhine – Moselle region versus the Arras Culture 4. The Netherlands 5. The Aisne-Marne and neighbouring regions 5.1. General funerary practices 5.1.1. Data 5.1.2. Disposal of the dead 5.1.3. Position and orientation of the deceased 5.1.4. Multiple burials 5.1.5. Disturbance and reopening of graves 5.1.6. Enclosures 5.1.7. Superstructures: barrows and mortuary houses 5.1.8. Grave pits 5.1.9. Cemetery organisation 5.1.10. Grave goods 5.1.11. The funerary scene in LT B2 5.2. Chariot burials – southern Champagne and northern Burgundy (LT A1) 5.3. Chariot burials - Marne, Aisne, southern Ardennes and Meuse (LT A-B) 5.3.1. Location and history 5.3.2. Chariot burials and cemeteries 5.3.3. Disposal of the dead 5.3.4. Superstructures and enclosures 5.3.5. Grave pits 5.3.6. General burial arrangement 5.3.7. The deceased 5.3.8. Vehicle parts and horse harness 5.3.9. Grave goods 5.4. Chariot burials - Aisne and northern Ardennes (LT C-D1) 5.5. The Aisne-Marne during LT B2 5.6. The Aisne-Marne region versus the Arras Culture 6. The Belgian Ardennes 6.1. Chariot burials and general funerary practices 6.1.1. Chariot burials and cemeteries 6.1.2. Disposal of the dead 6.1.3. Superstructures and enclosures 6.1.4. Grave pits 6.1.5. The deceased 6.1.6. General arrangement of chariot burials 6.1.7. Vehicle parts and horse harness 6.1.8. Grave goods 6.2. The origins of the La Tène culture of the Belgian Ardennes 6.3. The Belgian Ardennes and the origins of the Arras Culture 6.3.1. Demographic fluctuations in the Belgian Ardennes 6.3.2. ‘Poor grave goods’ and ‘plain vehicles’? 6.3.3. Other issues 6.3.4. Conclusion 7. The Luxembourg Ardennes 8. The Paris area 8.1. Chariot burials and general funerary practices 8.1.1. Chariot burials and cemeteries 8.1.2. Disposal of the dead 8.1.3. Superstructures and enclosures 8.1.4. Grave pits 8.1.5. The deceased 8.1.6. General arrangement of chariot burials 8.1.7. Vehicle parts and horse harness 8.1.8. Grave goods 8.1.9. Settlements 8.2. The origins 8.2.1. A new population of mixed origins? 8.2.2. A local development? 8.2.3. Conclusion 8.3. The Paris area versus the Arras Culture 8.3.1. The Parisi and the Parisii 8.3.2. The burial tradition 8.3.3. Vehicle parts and horse harness 8.3.4. Art style 8.3.5. Settlements 8.3.6. Same origins? 8.3.7. Conclusion 9. The ‘Groupe de la Haine’ (Belgium) 9.1. Sites 9.2. Disposal of the dead 9.3. Vehicle parts and horse harness 9.4. Types of chariot burials 9.5. Grave goods 9.6. Sanctuary 9.7. Origins and connection with Arras Culture? 10. The Aisne valley in the Oise department 10.1. The 1926 chariot burial 10.2. The 2009 chariot burials 11. Normandy 12. Burials with parts of vehicle and/or harness in northern Gaul 12.1. Geographical distribution 12.2. Origins and dating 12.3. Complete and pars pro toto chariot burials 12.4. A special composition 12.5. Northern Gaul versus the Arras Culture in this period 13. Eastern Yorkshire versus Northern Gaul 13.1. Dating 13.1.1. Iron wheel tyres 13.1.2. Supporting evidence 13.1.3. Rationale behind and disproof of traditional dating 13.2. Comparison of funerary practices 13.2.1. Inhumation versus cremation 13.2.2. Position and orientation of the body 13.2.3. Chariot burials 13.2.4. Complete and dismantled chariots 13.2.5. Square barrows, square enclosures 13.2.6. No perfect match … 13.2.7. … so no migration? 13.3. Conclusion and further questions 14. Third century BC: Changes in long-distance networks 14.1. Social networks theory 14.2. Closer contacts in the third century BC 14.2.1. Northern Gaul in the fifth and fourth centuries BC 14.2.2. Northern Gaul in the third century BC 14.2.3. Internationalisation 14.2.4. Evolution of elite networks between the fifth and the third centuries BC 14.2.5. New connections 14.2.5.1. Culture-historical hypothesis 14.2.5.2. Alternative theory 14.2.6. The Arras Culture: part of the Gaulish networks? 14.3. Conclusion 15. Functioning of elite and religious networks 15.1. Mechanisms and strategies of elite networks 15.1.1. Strategic marriages 15.1.2. Clientship 15.1.2.1. Base and free clientship 15.1.2.2. Competition and status 15.1.2.3. Archaeological evidence 15.1.3. Fosterage 15.1.4. Hostageship 15.1.4.1. Different types of hostageship 15.1.4.2. Selection of hostages 15.1.4.3. Treatment of hostages 15.1.4.4. The role of hostageship in the formation and maintenance of social networks 15.2. A well-connected evangelist 15.2.1. The druids 15.2.1.1. The sources 15.2.1.2. The druids’ knowledge 15.2.1.3. Ritual, religion and burial 15.2.1.4. Connections and privileges 15.2.1.5. Counsellors of kings 15.2.2. Druids and the Arras Culture: a possible scenario 16. Conclusion Bibliography Classical Texts Modern sources Appendix A. Catalogue:Chariot burials of the third and second centuries BC Appendix B. Non-exhaustive inventory: Chariot burials of the fifth and fourth centuries BC Appendix C. Glossary: vehicle and horse harness terminology Appendix D. Glossary of Continental terms Appendix E. Translations of classical texts quoted in section 15.2 Back Cover