Constructing frontier identities in the face of Roman imperialism
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2019-06-24

Frontiers are liminal spaces of interaction that are crucial for the construction of various levels of nested identities. Pressures from imperial powers can lead to the constitution of frontier identities very much shaped by resistance to external agents. However, resistance is a broad concept that has often been used in a rather loose way. In order to develop a more subtle approach, in this paper I follow Gonzalez- Ruibal’s (2014) terminological distinction between ‘resilience’, ‘resistance’ and ‘rebellion’ to explore the effect of Roman imperialism in two cases studies from Western Europe: northern Gaul and northern Iberia. By doing so, I will explore not only active military resistance to the Roman army, but also cultural strategies aimed to minimise the perceived threat to traditional ways of life and identities.

Manuel Fernández-Götz (University of Edinburgh)

Full title: Constructing frontier identities in the face of Roman imperialism: Landscapes of resistance in the northern fringes

TAG Deva 2018
Session: Location, Location, Location: Constructing Frontier Identity