The Roman Empire was forged with swords, strategy and hordes of legionaries, but the eternal city had an even more effective resource than its military power: its magnetism. Sometimes, before the soldiers, what reached the future conquered territories was the commercial influence of Rome. The clearest example has just been offered to us by Essex, United Kingdom, where archaeologists They have found a necropolis with several copper vessels, amphorae, nails, brooches and even a delicate molded glass bowl, an exclusive piece.
The important thing, however, is not so much the ‘what’ as the ‘when’.
Experts believe that those pieces that tell us about a connection with Rome are prior to the invasion of Britain in 43 AD, so they reveal a previous cultural, diplomatic and economic contact between both worlds.
What has happened? What archaeologists have discovered an ancient necropolis south of the United Kingdom which confirms that, before the Roman invasion of 43 AD launched by Emperor Claudius, the region was already permeable to the influence that came from the other side of the English Channel. It is a key detail because it tells us both about the Iron Age in modern-day England and about Rome’s ability to extend its cultural influence beyond its military power.
What have they found? A cemetery near Chelmsford, Essex. When excavating the area, researchers from UCL Institute of Archeology They located the cremated remains of more than a hundred individuals buried there about 2,000 years ago. To be more precise, the tombs appeared in an area surrounded by a ditch and, according to expertsdates for the most part from the 1st AD, so it “marks the transition towards Roman domination in Great Britain.”
Why is it important? As they delved deeper, the archaeologists saw two clearly differentiated types of graves: there were the most common ones, which numbered in dozens and basically consisted of urns with the remains of the deceased; and then a handful of burials were identified that, due to their characteristics and decorations, reveal a higher social status.
There are only five, but they have been revealing.
Revealing why? Because, in addition to cremated remains, funerary trousseau was deposited in the tombs that reveal the social status that the deceased had enjoyed in the East Anglia of the Iron Age. Experts located vessels made of copper, ceramic wine amphorae, horseshoe nails, brooches and even a detailed molded glass bowl, an exceptional piece as it is probably one of the first to arrive in Britain.
And is that important? Yes. Because of its origin and (above all) the history it suggests to us. “These exceptional grave goods are likely to reflect diplomatic contacts and economic exchanges between Iron Age peoples in Britain and the Roman Empire, which were already taking place before the Roman conquest of 43 AD,” reflect Angus Forshaw, one of the experts leading the UCL Archeology excavations.
In the case of the amphorae, Forshaw believes they may have arrived in Britain filled with wine for local elites. As for the bowl, he believes that it was probably “a very prized personal possession” of the deceased, which is why it ended up in his grave.
“The period surrounding the Roman conquest was a time of immense political and cultural change. These burials could have been a way for different Iron Age communities to signal their identity, their power and their supposed loyalty to Rome,” duck Samara King, from Archeology South-East.
And now what? There is still a lot of work ahead. The experts of Archeologym South-Eastt are in charge of cleaning and analyzing in detail the different objects extracted from the necropolis. They also examine the Essex site and its dozens of tombs to learn more about the people who were buried there, especially those who occupied the most elaborate tombs.
In principle, experts believe that the burials have certain parallels with others located in the area that are reminiscent of cremations discovered in Stansted and Stanway, as well as sites in Hertfodshire. Furthermore, its focus is not only on the graves. Excavations have revealed more Iron Age structures, including three previously unknown settlements with their moats, cultivation and wells spread over 11 hectares.
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