We propose a theory of “egalitarianism” as an active historical factor in contexts which have bee... more We propose a theory of “egalitarianism” as an active historical factor in contexts which have been traditionally considered structurally hostile to it, such as complex agrarian societies. First, we review thoroughly the main anthropological and sociological contributions to resistance against hierarchization in agrarian social contexts (taking into account peasant studies and a segmentary lineage’s tradition). Specific emphasis is placed on the forms of organizing production. Then we go through the archaeological landscape of the Iberian Northwestern Iron Age in order to evidence the viability of “assertive egalitarianism” where control of resources was distributed among social segments (households and settlements). We will show a historical process that diverges from what occurs at that time in hierarchical regions. By combining two levels of archaeological analysis (regional and local) we will conclude that a large part of the Iberian Northwest was occupied, from the 8th up to 2nd centuries BC by egalitarian social formations – with social exploitation absent – whose anti-hierarchization structures only crumbled upon the presence of Rome from the 2nd century BC onwards.
RESUMEN Se presenta una visión de síntesis sobre las reformas de Augusto en el Noroeste hispano y... more RESUMEN Se presenta una visión de síntesis sobre las reformas de Augusto en el Noroeste hispano y el impacto que supusieron sobre la organización social y territorial. Esta reorganización fue la base sobre la que se asentó la puesta en marcha de la minería de oro, que debe considerarse un elemento más dentro de la explotación integral de los recursos provinciales, no como una actividad económica sectorial. La síntesis se apoya en los resultados de intervenciones recientes en diversas zonas mineras del Noroeste peninsular, entre los que se destacan aquellos que responden a medidas tomadas en época de Augusto o que son consecuencia directa de ellas. ABSTRACT An overall picture about the reforms of Augustus in the Hispanic Northwest and assumed impact on social and territorial organization is presented. This reorganization was the basis for the implementation of gold mining, to be considered as one element in the comprehensive exploitation of provincial resources , not as a sectoral economic activity. The synthesis is based on the results of recent interventions in
R. Morais, M. Bandeira, M.J. Sousa (eds.), Celebração do Bimilenário de Augusto. Ad nationes. Ethnous Kallaikon, Braga pp. 124-135
Se presenta una síntesis sobre el proceso de dominación romana en el conjunto del Noroeste, prest... more Se presenta una síntesis sobre el proceso de dominación romana en el conjunto del Noroeste, prestando atención de forma particular al área galaica atlántica y meridional. En primer lugar nos detendremos en los procesos históricos que afectan a la región atlántico-meridional desde el s. II a.C. hasta finales del siglo I a.C. Si bien es cierto que el dominio romano del Noroeste se concreta con el gobierno de Augusto que consolida el proceso de provincialización, es necesario analizar las formas de control sobre las comunidades indígenas durante el final de la República, cuya importancia es esencial para entender el registro de los castros más tardíos y los cambios en los modelos de poblamiento que se documentan en este momento. A continuación, nos centraremos en el principado de Augusto. Partimos del hecho de que la imposición del sistema provincial augusteo es un elemento clave para entender los cambios en la organización territorial y social del Noroeste durante todo el Alto Imperio.
ABSTRACT This article contains the collection of Roman inscriptions in Villardiegua de la Ribera ... more ABSTRACT This article contains the collection of Roman inscriptions in Villardiegua de la Ribera and Pino del Oro (Zamora), two villages straddling both sides of the Duero. They correspond to the typical morphology of inscriptions in western Zamora, which also exists on the Portuguese side of the border, in neighbouring Bragança district. Archaeological research in recent years has enabled the significant expansion of the known corpus, offering it a more detailed historical context, within the occupational and exploitation strategy of the territory established by the Romans.
We present the results of the territorial and geoarchaeological studies carried out in the concel... more We present the results of the territorial and geoarchaeological studies carried out in the concelho of Bragança, which dealt with Roman gold mining activity. Research has focused mainly on the Serra de França mines, where several structures have been identified and catalogued, and the different phases of the exploitation have been understood. This is the first indepth study of this mining area, and is part of a wider regional and trans-frontier study carried out by our research group using Landscape Archaeology methodology.
This paper presents a synthesis of the work done by the research group Social Structure and Terri... more This paper presents a synthesis of the work done by the research group Social Structure and Territory – Landscape Archaeology (Institute of History, CSIC) in North Western Spain, for which the study and analysis of hydraulic networks related to Roman mining exploitation has been a fundamental part. The gold-bearing areas of the Iberian Peninsula’s North West had a great importance for the Roman Empire, which integrates their exploitation in the overall control of the territory from the very beginning of the 1st century AD. To ensure the essential supply of water for the whole of the mining process was one of the main axes of the reorganization of the provincial territories.
The aim of this paper is to present both the historical context of these water networks and the methodology and approach of our work, in which the fieldwork and network analysis is an important research aim. We will do this by using the example of the Roman gold mines of the Sierra de Francia region where an extensive and very well preserved hydraulic system has been recorded and analysed. Our team has gathered archaeological evidence for the study of water networks and mining exploitation and their incidence on the revaluation of natural resources in the region.
Los espacios de la esclavitud y de la dependencia desde la Antigüedad. Actas del XXXV coloquio del GIREA. Homenaje a Domingo Plácido, 2015
Revisión de la organización política y administrativa de regiones de Zamora y Salamanca en época ... more Revisión de la organización política y administrativa de regiones de Zamora y Salamanca en época altoimperial partiendo de la relevancia de la civitas entendida como entidad territorial.
The Prehistory of Iberia. Debating Early Social Stratification and the State (M. Cruz Berrocal, L. García Sanjuán, A. Gilman eds.)., 2013
Metallurgy is one aspect of the productive process of segmentary castros that has been especially... more Metallurgy is one aspect of the productive process of segmentary castros that has been especially well documented and interpreted (Fernández-Posse and Sánchez-Palencia 1998; Fernández-Posse et al. 1993). Production systems and technological aspects are being studied through goldsmithing (Perea et al. 2010). There is, therefore, a solid basis for offering a social interpretation. Three main aspects have been analyzed: the manufacture of tools and jewelry, the extraction of metal, and the social value of the products. We shall briefly summarize the first two questions (Fernández-Posse et al. 1993; Sánchez-Palencia and Fernández-Posse 1998; Fernández-Posse et al. 2004) and look at the last in greater detail.
A new theretical model is proposed for the definition of social structure and processes of change... more A new theretical model is proposed for the definition of social structure and processes of change of the Castro Culture societies. It is based on current anthropological approaches to 'agrarian segmentary societies' and implies the revision of the aristocratic models that now dominate research on the European Iron Age
This paper proposes a new view of conflict in European Iron Age societies: considering isolationi... more This paper proposes a new view of conflict in European Iron Age societies: considering isolationism as an alternative to warfare. Study of the castros (fortified settlements) of the Iberian Northwest suggests the organization of production as a main explanatory element in the emergence of identities based on exclusion and the imposition of communal structures of power. The relationship between these communities must have been one of conflict, and the unequal productive success of domestic units and the requirement of external marriage interchanges created realms of interaction in which internal conflict surely arose. These tendencies were kept in check by controlling settlement growth. Although a conflict-prone situation is documented in the archaeological record, there is no evidence that warfare as an endemic reality created groups of warriors. Warfare-related activity in these Iron Age societies was neither heroic nor hierarchical. Warfare did not determine the form of society but rather was related to the productive and reproductive organization of the societies that engaged in it.
Atlantic Europe in the First Millennium B.C. Crossing the divide (T. Moore, X.L. Armada eds.), 2011
A reflection is proposed on the different ways of interpreting Iron Age societies taking into acc... more A reflection is proposed on the different ways of interpreting Iron Age societies taking into account the recent considerations about "non-triangular societies" (Hill 2006), recent approaches to non-hierarchical societies and the field work carried out in different European regions. The northwestern Iberian Peninsula is suggested as a case study for many reasons. It presents a long trend of studies centred on the definition of segmentary societies which forms part of a rich academic debate in which other social models have been taken into account. And it presents a regional variability that can be used to test the viability of different social models.
Auguste et la première organisation du Nord-Ouest de la Péninsule Ibérique : l'Édit du Bierz... more Auguste et la première organisation du Nord-Ouest de la Péninsule Ibérique : l'Édit du Bierzo (Léon, Espagne). Vers la fin de 1999 on a découvert une inscription exceptionnelle sur bronze, dans le Nord-Ouest de l'Espagne (province de Léon). ...
Zarzalejos, M., Hevia, P. y Mansilla, L. (eds.): Paisajes mineros antiguos en la Península Ibérica Investigaciones recientes y nuevas líneas de trabajo. Homenaje a Claude Domergue. Col. Arte y Humanidades. UNED, Madrid, 2012, 31-46, 2012
"To study the Spanish mining activity of the Early Roman Empire we need to proceed with an integr... more "To study the Spanish mining activity of the Early Roman Empire we need to proceed with an integrated reading of the epigraphic and archaeological records, having in mind the Roman organizational frames.
The attempt of Rome to control the provincial resources through the tributary system entailed the creation of different forms of legal and administrative organization of mining areas. These new frames, created during the Julio-Claudian Period, were defined according to Rome’s strategic interests, and developed through the necessary agents. The exploitation of public resources, among which mining was of the utmost importance, serves to explain the changes in territorial organization —at a local and provincial level—, as well as in networks of power and exchange."
We propose a theory of “egalitarianism” as an active historical factor in contexts which have bee... more We propose a theory of “egalitarianism” as an active historical factor in contexts which have been traditionally considered structurally hostile to it, such as complex agrarian societies. First, we review thoroughly the main anthropological and sociological contributions to resistance against hierarchization in agrarian social contexts (taking into account peasant studies and a segmentary lineage’s tradition). Specific emphasis is placed on the forms of organizing production. Then we go through the archaeological landscape of the Iberian Northwestern Iron Age in order to evidence the viability of “assertive egalitarianism” where control of resources was distributed among social segments (households and settlements). We will show a historical process that diverges from what occurs at that time in hierarchical regions. By combining two levels of archaeological analysis (regional and local) we will conclude that a large part of the Iberian Northwest was occupied, from the 8th up to 2nd centuries BC by egalitarian social formations – with social exploitation absent – whose anti-hierarchization structures only crumbled upon the presence of Rome from the 2nd century BC onwards.
RESUMEN Se presenta una visión de síntesis sobre las reformas de Augusto en el Noroeste hispano y... more RESUMEN Se presenta una visión de síntesis sobre las reformas de Augusto en el Noroeste hispano y el impacto que supusieron sobre la organización social y territorial. Esta reorganización fue la base sobre la que se asentó la puesta en marcha de la minería de oro, que debe considerarse un elemento más dentro de la explotación integral de los recursos provinciales, no como una actividad económica sectorial. La síntesis se apoya en los resultados de intervenciones recientes en diversas zonas mineras del Noroeste peninsular, entre los que se destacan aquellos que responden a medidas tomadas en época de Augusto o que son consecuencia directa de ellas. ABSTRACT An overall picture about the reforms of Augustus in the Hispanic Northwest and assumed impact on social and territorial organization is presented. This reorganization was the basis for the implementation of gold mining, to be considered as one element in the comprehensive exploitation of provincial resources , not as a sectoral economic activity. The synthesis is based on the results of recent interventions in
R. Morais, M. Bandeira, M.J. Sousa (eds.), Celebração do Bimilenário de Augusto. Ad nationes. Ethnous Kallaikon, Braga pp. 124-135
Se presenta una síntesis sobre el proceso de dominación romana en el conjunto del Noroeste, prest... more Se presenta una síntesis sobre el proceso de dominación romana en el conjunto del Noroeste, prestando atención de forma particular al área galaica atlántica y meridional. En primer lugar nos detendremos en los procesos históricos que afectan a la región atlántico-meridional desde el s. II a.C. hasta finales del siglo I a.C. Si bien es cierto que el dominio romano del Noroeste se concreta con el gobierno de Augusto que consolida el proceso de provincialización, es necesario analizar las formas de control sobre las comunidades indígenas durante el final de la República, cuya importancia es esencial para entender el registro de los castros más tardíos y los cambios en los modelos de poblamiento que se documentan en este momento. A continuación, nos centraremos en el principado de Augusto. Partimos del hecho de que la imposición del sistema provincial augusteo es un elemento clave para entender los cambios en la organización territorial y social del Noroeste durante todo el Alto Imperio.
ABSTRACT This article contains the collection of Roman inscriptions in Villardiegua de la Ribera ... more ABSTRACT This article contains the collection of Roman inscriptions in Villardiegua de la Ribera and Pino del Oro (Zamora), two villages straddling both sides of the Duero. They correspond to the typical morphology of inscriptions in western Zamora, which also exists on the Portuguese side of the border, in neighbouring Bragança district. Archaeological research in recent years has enabled the significant expansion of the known corpus, offering it a more detailed historical context, within the occupational and exploitation strategy of the territory established by the Romans.
We present the results of the territorial and geoarchaeological studies carried out in the concel... more We present the results of the territorial and geoarchaeological studies carried out in the concelho of Bragança, which dealt with Roman gold mining activity. Research has focused mainly on the Serra de França mines, where several structures have been identified and catalogued, and the different phases of the exploitation have been understood. This is the first indepth study of this mining area, and is part of a wider regional and trans-frontier study carried out by our research group using Landscape Archaeology methodology.
This paper presents a synthesis of the work done by the research group Social Structure and Terri... more This paper presents a synthesis of the work done by the research group Social Structure and Territory – Landscape Archaeology (Institute of History, CSIC) in North Western Spain, for which the study and analysis of hydraulic networks related to Roman mining exploitation has been a fundamental part. The gold-bearing areas of the Iberian Peninsula’s North West had a great importance for the Roman Empire, which integrates their exploitation in the overall control of the territory from the very beginning of the 1st century AD. To ensure the essential supply of water for the whole of the mining process was one of the main axes of the reorganization of the provincial territories.
The aim of this paper is to present both the historical context of these water networks and the methodology and approach of our work, in which the fieldwork and network analysis is an important research aim. We will do this by using the example of the Roman gold mines of the Sierra de Francia region where an extensive and very well preserved hydraulic system has been recorded and analysed. Our team has gathered archaeological evidence for the study of water networks and mining exploitation and their incidence on the revaluation of natural resources in the region.
Los espacios de la esclavitud y de la dependencia desde la Antigüedad. Actas del XXXV coloquio del GIREA. Homenaje a Domingo Plácido, 2015
Revisión de la organización política y administrativa de regiones de Zamora y Salamanca en época ... more Revisión de la organización política y administrativa de regiones de Zamora y Salamanca en época altoimperial partiendo de la relevancia de la civitas entendida como entidad territorial.
The Prehistory of Iberia. Debating Early Social Stratification and the State (M. Cruz Berrocal, L. García Sanjuán, A. Gilman eds.)., 2013
Metallurgy is one aspect of the productive process of segmentary castros that has been especially... more Metallurgy is one aspect of the productive process of segmentary castros that has been especially well documented and interpreted (Fernández-Posse and Sánchez-Palencia 1998; Fernández-Posse et al. 1993). Production systems and technological aspects are being studied through goldsmithing (Perea et al. 2010). There is, therefore, a solid basis for offering a social interpretation. Three main aspects have been analyzed: the manufacture of tools and jewelry, the extraction of metal, and the social value of the products. We shall briefly summarize the first two questions (Fernández-Posse et al. 1993; Sánchez-Palencia and Fernández-Posse 1998; Fernández-Posse et al. 2004) and look at the last in greater detail.
A new theretical model is proposed for the definition of social structure and processes of change... more A new theretical model is proposed for the definition of social structure and processes of change of the Castro Culture societies. It is based on current anthropological approaches to 'agrarian segmentary societies' and implies the revision of the aristocratic models that now dominate research on the European Iron Age
This paper proposes a new view of conflict in European Iron Age societies: considering isolationi... more This paper proposes a new view of conflict in European Iron Age societies: considering isolationism as an alternative to warfare. Study of the castros (fortified settlements) of the Iberian Northwest suggests the organization of production as a main explanatory element in the emergence of identities based on exclusion and the imposition of communal structures of power. The relationship between these communities must have been one of conflict, and the unequal productive success of domestic units and the requirement of external marriage interchanges created realms of interaction in which internal conflict surely arose. These tendencies were kept in check by controlling settlement growth. Although a conflict-prone situation is documented in the archaeological record, there is no evidence that warfare as an endemic reality created groups of warriors. Warfare-related activity in these Iron Age societies was neither heroic nor hierarchical. Warfare did not determine the form of society but rather was related to the productive and reproductive organization of the societies that engaged in it.
Atlantic Europe in the First Millennium B.C. Crossing the divide (T. Moore, X.L. Armada eds.), 2011
A reflection is proposed on the different ways of interpreting Iron Age societies taking into acc... more A reflection is proposed on the different ways of interpreting Iron Age societies taking into account the recent considerations about "non-triangular societies" (Hill 2006), recent approaches to non-hierarchical societies and the field work carried out in different European regions. The northwestern Iberian Peninsula is suggested as a case study for many reasons. It presents a long trend of studies centred on the definition of segmentary societies which forms part of a rich academic debate in which other social models have been taken into account. And it presents a regional variability that can be used to test the viability of different social models.
Auguste et la première organisation du Nord-Ouest de la Péninsule Ibérique : l'Édit du Bierz... more Auguste et la première organisation du Nord-Ouest de la Péninsule Ibérique : l'Édit du Bierzo (Léon, Espagne). Vers la fin de 1999 on a découvert une inscription exceptionnelle sur bronze, dans le Nord-Ouest de l'Espagne (province de Léon). ...
Zarzalejos, M., Hevia, P. y Mansilla, L. (eds.): Paisajes mineros antiguos en la Península Ibérica Investigaciones recientes y nuevas líneas de trabajo. Homenaje a Claude Domergue. Col. Arte y Humanidades. UNED, Madrid, 2012, 31-46, 2012
"To study the Spanish mining activity of the Early Roman Empire we need to proceed with an integr... more "To study the Spanish mining activity of the Early Roman Empire we need to proceed with an integrated reading of the epigraphic and archaeological records, having in mind the Roman organizational frames.
The attempt of Rome to control the provincial resources through the tributary system entailed the creation of different forms of legal and administrative organization of mining areas. These new frames, created during the Julio-Claudian Period, were defined according to Rome’s strategic interests, and developed through the necessary agents. The exploitation of public resources, among which mining was of the utmost importance, serves to explain the changes in territorial organization —at a local and provincial level—, as well as in networks of power and exchange."
Alternative Iron Ages examines Iron Age social formations that sit outside traditional paradigms,... more Alternative Iron Ages examines Iron Age social formations that sit outside traditional paradigms, developing methods for archaeological characterisation of alternative models of society. In so doing it contributes to the debates concerning the construction and resistance of inequality taking place in archaeology, anthropology and sociology.
In recent years, Iron Age research on Western Europe has moved towards new forms of understanding social structures. Yet these alternative social organisations continue to be considered as basic human social formations, which frequently imply marginality and primitivism. In this context, the grand narrative of the European Iron Age continues to be defined by cultural foci, which hide the great regional variety in an artificially homogenous area. This book challenges the traditional classical evolutionist narratives by exploring concepts such as non-triangular societies, heterarchy and segmentarity across regional case studies to test and propose alternative social models for Iron Age social formations.
Constructing new social theory both archaeologically based and supported by sociological and anthropological theory, the book is perfect for those looking to examine and understand life in the European Iron Age.
Contrato predoctoral en el marco del proyecto "Economías locales, economía imperial. El occidente... more Contrato predoctoral en el marco del proyecto "Economías locales, economía imperial. El occidente de la Península Ibérica (siglo II a.C.-siglo II d.C.). PID2019-104297GB-100. Grupo de investigación "Estructura social y territorio. Arqueología del Paisaje" del Instituto de Historia (CSIC). Convocatoria abierta del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.
We invite you to participate in this session by submitting your abstracts for a presentation of 1... more We invite you to participate in this session by submitting your abstracts for a presentation of 15 min. The submission module will be open until March 15 th. Session abstract: Along the last two decades, Iron Age research on Western Europe has moved away from classical evolutionist narratives towards a new understanding of social formations. Strong hierarchies, warrior aristocracies, chiefdoms, centralized landscapes… are not seen any more as a necessary and consubstantial part of Iron Age. Under the light of a new social theory, " non triangular societies " , heterarchy, segmentarity have been identified inside complex political landscapes showing that " different iron ages " exist. Taking the European Iron Age as a reference point, the aim of this session is twofold. On the one hand, we want to delve deeper in the methods for characterizing alternative models of society. We propose to discuss the traditional search of " negative " indicators for documenting absence of hierarchies (lack of settlement functional diversity, centralization, prestige goods, wealth inequalities), and looking for the specificities of non-hierarchical archaeological records. This is linked with a second aim: to promote the construction of a renewed social theory, both archaeologically based and supported by strong sociological and anthropological theory. Egalitarianism and anarchism could be envisaged as new interpretive options. Theoretically-loaded contributions (not necessarily connected with Iron Age) are welcomed, as well as different case studies archaeologically based. Please follow the guidelines provided by the organisation: http://www.eaa2017maastricht.nl/en
We invite you to participate in this session by submitting your abstracts for a presentation of 1... more We invite you to participate in this session by submitting your abstracts for a presentation of 15 min. The submission module will be open until March 15 th. Session abstract: Along the last two decades, Iron Age research on Western Europe has moved away from classical evolutionist narratives towards a new understanding of social formations. Strong hierarchies, warrior aristocracies, chiefdoms, centralized landscapes… are not seen any more as a necessary and consubstantial part of Iron Age. Under the light of a new social theory, " non triangular societies " , heterarchy, segmentarity have been identified inside complex political landscapes showing that " different iron ages " exist. Taking the European Iron Age as a reference point, the aim of this session is twofold. On the one hand, we want to delve deeper in the methods for characterizing alternative models of society. We propose to discuss the traditional search of " negative " indicators for documenting absence of hierarchies (lack of settlement functional diversity, centralization, prestige goods, wealth inequalities), and looking for the specificities of non-hierarchical archaeological records. This is linked with a second aim: to promote the construction of a renewed social theory, both archaeologically based and supported by strong sociological and anthropological theory. Egalitarianism and anarchism could be envisaged as new interpretive options. Theoretically-loaded contributions (not necessarily connected with Iron Age) are welcomed, as well as different case studies archaeologically based. Please follow the guidelines provided by the organisation: http://www.eaa2017maastricht.nl/en
Program of the EAA- Maastricht session “Constructing social theory for the “different Iron Ages”:... more Program of the EAA- Maastricht session “Constructing social theory for the “different Iron Ages”: critical insights in a comparative perspective” to be held next 2 September 2017.
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study of this mining area, and is part of a wider regional and trans-frontier study carried out by our research group using Landscape Archaeology methodology.
The aim of this paper is to present both the historical context of these water networks and the methodology and approach of our work, in which the fieldwork and network analysis is an important research aim. We will do this by using the example of the Roman gold mines of the Sierra de Francia region where an extensive and very well preserved hydraulic system has been recorded and analysed. Our team has gathered archaeological evidence for the study of water networks and mining exploitation and their incidence on the revaluation of natural resources in the region.
The attempt of Rome to control the provincial resources through the tributary system entailed the creation of different forms of legal and administrative organization of mining areas. These new frames, created during the Julio-Claudian Period, were defined according to Rome’s strategic interests, and developed through the necessary agents. The exploitation of public resources, among which mining was of the utmost importance, serves to explain the changes in territorial organization —at a local and provincial level—, as well as in networks of power and exchange."
study of this mining area, and is part of a wider regional and trans-frontier study carried out by our research group using Landscape Archaeology methodology.
The aim of this paper is to present both the historical context of these water networks and the methodology and approach of our work, in which the fieldwork and network analysis is an important research aim. We will do this by using the example of the Roman gold mines of the Sierra de Francia region where an extensive and very well preserved hydraulic system has been recorded and analysed. Our team has gathered archaeological evidence for the study of water networks and mining exploitation and their incidence on the revaluation of natural resources in the region.
The attempt of Rome to control the provincial resources through the tributary system entailed the creation of different forms of legal and administrative organization of mining areas. These new frames, created during the Julio-Claudian Period, were defined according to Rome’s strategic interests, and developed through the necessary agents. The exploitation of public resources, among which mining was of the utmost importance, serves to explain the changes in territorial organization —at a local and provincial level—, as well as in networks of power and exchange."
In recent years, Iron Age research on Western Europe has moved towards new forms of understanding social structures. Yet these alternative social organisations continue to be considered as basic human social formations, which frequently imply marginality and primitivism. In this context, the grand narrative of the European Iron Age continues to be defined by cultural foci, which hide the great regional variety in an artificially homogenous area. This book challenges the traditional classical evolutionist narratives by exploring concepts such as non-triangular societies, heterarchy and segmentarity across regional case studies to test and propose alternative social models for Iron Age social formations.
Constructing new social theory both archaeologically based and supported by sociological and anthropological theory, the book is perfect for those looking to examine and understand life in the European Iron Age.
Session abstract: Along the last two decades, Iron Age research on Western Europe has moved away from classical evolutionist narratives towards a new understanding of social formations. Strong hierarchies, warrior aristocracies, chiefdoms, centralized landscapes… are not seen any more as a necessary and consubstantial part of Iron Age. Under the light of a new social theory, " non triangular societies " , heterarchy, segmentarity have been identified inside complex political landscapes showing that " different iron ages " exist. Taking the European Iron Age as a reference point, the aim of this session is twofold. On the one hand, we want to delve deeper in the methods for characterizing alternative models of society. We propose to discuss the traditional search of " negative " indicators for documenting absence of hierarchies (lack of settlement functional diversity, centralization, prestige goods, wealth inequalities), and looking for the specificities of non-hierarchical archaeological records. This is linked with a second aim: to promote the construction of a renewed social theory, both archaeologically based and supported by strong sociological and anthropological theory. Egalitarianism and anarchism could be envisaged as new interpretive options. Theoretically-loaded contributions (not necessarily connected with Iron Age) are welcomed, as well as different case studies archaeologically based. Please follow the guidelines provided by the organisation: http://www.eaa2017maastricht.nl/en