Identity and Power: The Transformation of Iron Age Societies in Northeast Gaul

by Manuel Fernández-Götz

This volume explores the transformation of Iron Age communities in northeast Gaul, and in particular the Middle Rhine-Moselle region, giving special consideration to questions of social identity. Some of the main issues addressed are the multidimensional levels of sociopolitical organization, the cycles of centralization and decentralization, the origins of the La Tène culture, the emergence of the oppida , and the role of sanctuaries in the construction of collective identities. By combining an up-to-date summary of the different types of social identity with a considerable body of archaeological data, historical references and anthropological insights, this work represents a valuable contribution to our knowledge of Iron Age societies and, at a more general level, for all those interested in the study of past identities.

298 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 2014