What have the Romans ever done for us?: The Iron Age and Early Roman Period ditch systems on the sandy soils in the Meuse-Demer-Scheldt region and Flanders

This thesis sets out to challenge the narrative of the Romans initiating landscape division in Northwestern Europe by examining indigenous ditch systems in the Meuse-Demer-Scheldt (MDS) and Flanders regions during the Iron Age and Early Roman period (800 BCE – 69 CE). Although traditional scholarship credits the Roman administration with the introduction of land division elements, such as parcels. This study demonstrates a complex and diverse tradition of indigenous land subdivision that predates Roman influence by at least 800 years. The research specifically focuses on the extent, physical appearance, character, and origin of ditch systems on Northwestern European cover sand soils. This area was chosen due to its frequent, large scale settlement research, thus allowing for the context of the ditch systems to be adequately established. Prior research into these ditch systems is limited, however, as land division elements are often considered bycatch in archaeological research and...Show moreThis thesis sets out to challenge the narrative of the Romans initiating landscape division in Northwestern Europe by examining indigenous ditch systems in the Meuse-Demer-Scheldt (MDS) and Flanders regions during the Iron Age and Early Roman period (800 BCE – 69 CE). Although traditional scholarship credits the Roman administration with the introduction of land division elements, such as parcels. This study demonstrates a complex and diverse tradition of indigenous land subdivision that predates Roman influence by at least 800 years. The research specifically focuses on the extent, physical appearance, character, and origin of ditch systems on Northwestern European cover sand soils. This area was chosen due to its frequent, large scale settlement research, thus allowing for the context of the ditch systems to be adequately established. Prior research into these ditch systems is limited, however, as land division elements are often considered bycatch in archaeological research and are therefore omitted from reports. The AGNES (Archaeological Grey Literature Named Entity Search) engine scanned through 70,000 (commercial) archaeological reports from various European databases, yielding 32 sites within the MDS and Flanders regions. Their analysis reveals a native tradition of ditch construction emerging in the Late Bronze through the Early Iron Age, before expanding exponentially in the Late Iron Age, and eventually continuing into the Early Roman period. These ditch systems can be subdivided into three categories: (shallow) field systems, settlement enclosures, and defensive works. The longevity of ditch systems, averaging 491 years, had a profound effect on the traditionally temporary fenced society, often outlasting their original builders, thereby influencing the settlements they enclosed for successive generations. This research highlights the profound impact indigenous societies had on the landscape, as well as the effect their systems had on them. Further it participates in a broader discussion on the idea of a one-sided romanisation process, where indigenous populations are primarily at the receiving end, advocating instead for a framework of cultural exchange between two distinct cultures, emphasizing both indigenous elements as well as Roman ones.Show less

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What have the Romans ever done for us? The Iron Age and Early Roman Period ditch systems on the sandy soils in the Meuse-Demer-Scheldt region and Flanders