Romanizing Oss. Continuity and change in rural settlements

The Iron Age-Roman Period transition is a much discussed subject. Key to this discussion is the process of Romanization. This term has had different definitions through time and several alternatives exist. I have chosen to define Romanization as the processes involved in transitioning to the Roman Period. Central to these processes should be the possibility to use and manipulate Roman culture in ambiguous ways, creating new identities but also maintaining aspects of pre-Roman beliefs and practices. Using this as a theoretical framework several sites and aspects of the archaeological record of the micro-region Oss were discussed, comparing the data of the second half of the Late Iron Age with the data of the Early Roman Period. The main focus was put on indications of change and continuity. This descriptive and interpretative research resulted in an overview of the constants and changes around the beginning of the Roman Period. It became apparent that developments in settlements,...Show moreThe Iron Age-Roman Period transition is a much discussed subject. Key to this discussion is the process of Romanization. This term has had different definitions through time and several alternatives exist. I have chosen to define Romanization as the processes involved in transitioning to the Roman Period. Central to these processes should be the possibility to use and manipulate Roman culture in ambiguous ways, creating new identities but also maintaining aspects of pre-Roman beliefs and practices. Using this as a theoretical framework several sites and aspects of the archaeological record of the micro-region Oss were discussed, comparing the data of the second half of the Late Iron Age with the data of the Early Roman Period. The main focus was put on indications of change and continuity. This descriptive and interpretative research resulted in an overview of the constants and changes around the beginning of the Roman Period. It became apparent that developments in settlements, housing, material culture and religious practices showed a lot of continuity. Change was detected, but most of the changes can be related to the ongoing long-term developments related to habitation become more nucleated and location bound. As such these so-called changes are more indicative of continuity. In my opinion, they may serve as indication of a growing need to structure space. This need shows no apparent link to the arrival of Roman troops in the southern parts of the Netherlands, nor does it seem to be related to the arrival of a Chatti sub-tribe from the Middle Rhine-region into the area. This does not mean that the Roman presence in the region had no effect on the local communities at all. These effects will have been mainly felt in the political and economical spheres of society. This can also be seen in the material culture of the four sites, with the ceasing circulation of La Tène glass and the rise of wheel-thrown pottery like terra sigillata. These results subscribe to the notion that Rome was not undertaking a civilizing mission, but rather seduced other groups of people with their culture instead of obliging them to accept it. So we can characterize this first phase of Romanization in the micro-region Oss as mainly influencing politics and economy, whilst the basics of everyday life remained relatively unaffected. This view has to be further supplemented for the period under discussion, but also for the succeeding Middle and Late Roman Period.Show less

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Romanizing Oss. Continuity and change in rural settlements