TRAC 2006 SESSION
Engendering Cultural Change: 'Romanization' or Continuity?
Rebecca Redfern (University of Birmingham; MoLSS) rebeccaredfern@hotmail.com
Christine Hamlin (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) chamlin@uwm.edu
"The body is a corporeal phenomenon which is not only affected by social systems,
but which forms a basis for and shapes social relations" (Shilling 1994, 100).
The process of culture contact, exchange and adoption traditionally termed 'Romanization' has long been of interest
to historians and archaeologists. A number of theorists (e.g., Hill 2001; James 2001; Mattingly 2004) have recently
augmented the discussion of more commonly considered aspects, such as architecture and religious syncretism, with
research addressing questions related to the construction or expression of communal and individual identity. Few
theorists, though, have considered Romanization in terms of sex and gender, and fewer still have addressed the social
construction of identity in Roman Britain in terms of these variables.
Mattingly (2004) has suggested that different groups constructed their own interpretations of identity, many of which
may have drawn upon earlier social models (Mattingly 2004, 22). The heterogeneous nature of the archaeological evidence
supports his theory, suggesting a continuity of Late Pre-Roman Iron Age/Early Roman regional identities and, perhaps,
of LPRIA/ER gender and age identities. By examining the corporeal remains of the body in conjunction with evidence for
socio-cultural elements such as mortuary treatment and patterns of artefact association, a more nuanced understanding of
the construction of identity by individuals and communities in Roman Britain can be achieved. The human body is central
to this endeavor, for the body is the three-dimensional model on which gender and age ideologies, as elements of social
constructions of identity, are displayed. As Shilling (1994) has noted, "if one feels unable to exert influence over an
increasingly complex society, at least one can have some effect on the size, shape and appearance of one's body"
(Shilling 1994, 7).
This session examines the extent to which Romanization changed expressions of identity, specifically focusing upon the
relationship between the body and socio-cultural evidence. This enables the exploration of areas as diverse as changes
in social ranking, the expression of gender throughout the life course, and the presence of new and competing expressions
of identity.
References
Hill, J.D. 2001 "Romanisation, gender and class: recent approaches to identity in Britain and their possible consequences."
In S. James and M. Millett (eds.), Britons and Romans: advancing an archaeological agenda. York: CBA Research Report 125,
pp.12-18
James, S. 2001 "'Romanization' and the peoples of Britain." In S. Keay and N. Terrenato (eds.), Italy and the West.
Comparative issues in Romanization. Oxford: Oxbow Books, pp.187-209
Mattingly, D. 2004 "Being Roman: expressing identity in a provincial setting." Journal of Roman Archaeology 17, 5-25
Shilling, C. 1994 The Body and Social Theory. London: SAGE Publications
Paper titles
Keith J. Fitzpatrick-Matthews
"Discarded bodies: identity, gender and the dead of Iron Age and Roman Baldock"
Rebecca Redfern (University of Birmingham, MoLSS)
"Transformation and continuity in Roman Dorset: a gendered health perspective"
Judith Rosten (University of Leicester)
"Identities in Life and Death: The Use of Personal Adornment in Roman Britain"
Melanie Sherratt
"Perceptions of gender in Roman Britain; the perpetuating myth"
Abstracts
"Discarded bodies: identity, gender and the dead of Iron Age and Roman Baldock"
Keith J. Fitzpatrick-Matthews
The oppidum and 'small town' of Baldock shows massive settlement continuity from the first century BC to the second
century AD, despite the momentous political changes of the era. The site has also yielded one of the largest collections
of burials from any site in the Roman Empire, the majority still unpublished. They represent a huge resource for an
exploration of attitudes toward the body.
The town's sixteen-plus burial grounds show huge variations in the treatment of the dead, both between cemeteries and
within them. This paper will explore the extent to which these variations are correlated with physical factors such as
sex and age and will pose questions about why variations not attributable to these characteristics are found.
Baldock will be compared with other sites in the region to assess whether the patterns seen here are more widespread or
if they relate to the identity of the local community.
"Transformation and continuity in Roman Dorset: a gendered health perspective"
Rebecca Redfern (University of Birmingham, MoLSS)
The changes observed in post-conquest communities are typically discussed in terms of religion, material culture and
architecture, with a marked absence of biological evidence, resulting in an incomplete view of this period. Clinical
studies have proven that numerous health consequences can result from periods of social stress and change; for example,
alterations in social status and identities can result in changes to stature, demography and disease prevalence.
Such studies have also observed that the social frameworks and environmental conditions experienced by individuals
strongly influence their health and well-being, from conception to old age. One of the most important determining
social factors is the gender identity of an individual, as their gender role influences exposure to disease and violence.
This paper seeks to address the biological consequences of social change, by presenting the results of the first gendered
analysis of health in Britain from the late 8th century B.C. to the end of 4th century A.D., based upon a regional
analysis of human remains from Dorset. The discussion combines the biological data with the socio-cultural and
environmental evidence to create a fully integrated analysis. The presentation focuses upon evidence for changing
gender roles, regional heterogeneity and the extent to which the health of communities changed through time, offering
a new perspective on Roman Britain.
"Identities in Life and Death: The Use of Personal Adornment in Roman Britain"
Judith Rosten (University of Leicester)
In the period leading up to the Roman occupation in Britain the range and quantity of items of personal adornment began
to increase significantly. Following the conquest, further items continued to be added to the repertoire of goods that
were available. With appearance of the body having the potential to transmit a complex range of meanings, often bound
up with identity, this increased availability of items associated with appearance provided a more widespread opportunity
for manipulating the body to express identities. In order to see the details of such use, we must rely largely on
cemetery data, as assemblages of items can be directly associated with individuals, which, when suitably preserved,
can be aged and sexed to aid our interpretations. However, cemetery assemblages do not necessarily equate to what was
being expressed in everyday practices. To understand more fully the significance of how appearance was being used in
the Roman period, we need to consider the material that is coming not just from assemblages associated with the dead,
but also from those of the living; the assemblages from settlement sites. Using as case studies sites that have received
excavations of both their settlement and cemeteries provides the opportunity to look at the way in which personal
adornment items, Roman introductions or otherwise, were being used in a variety of contexts Roman Britain.
"Perceptions of gender in Roman Britain; the perpetuating myth"
Melanie Sherratt
The call for gender to be addressed in the Roman Period has been issued from many quarters, none more loudly than at TRAC
itself. Attempts have been made to address the issue, but many studies are built on sand as the question of what is the
Roman notion of gender, specifically what was it to be 'female' or 'male' in Roman Britain has not been addressed
adequately. Consequent understanding of how gender was displayed upon the body and the accuracy of 'gendered' artefacts
remain unchallenged. Gender continues to be viewed as a separate aspect of identity, homogenous and based upon the 'Roman'
model.
This paper will address the issues arising from the false-start that gender studies have had in Romano-British archaeology
by attacking the preconceptions of gender that are allowed to perpetuate in discussions of Roman Britain. Such assumptions
concerning 'gendered' artefacts allow for certain gender stereotypes to be reinforced that are at their root a mirror
of contemporary ideals and are not entirely applicable to past cultures. In conclusion, this paper will discuss how
gender studies can be advanced through the systematic analysis of mortuary remains and the engendering of the body in
death. Such studies can lead to the understanding of how gender was expressed in a certain area, and reveal the levels
of integration or resistance in Roman Britain.
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Last updated 6th March 2006 R.M.B.