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| Contact: Prof. Michael Hoff, Professor of Art History, UNL, 472-5342 What: Archaeological Institute of America, Public Lecture Presenter: Dr. Simon James, University of Leicester, England Lecture Title: "Isle of Druids and Celtic Warriors: Britain on the Eve of Roman Invasion" Date: Thursday, March 23, 2006 Where: Abbott Lecture Hall, Joslyn Art Museum, 2201 Dodge Street, Omaha Time: 7:30 PM The Lincoln - Omaha Society of the Archaeological Institute of America announces its fifth lecture of the 2005-06 season. Dr. Simon James of the University of Leicester in England, will present a one-hour lecture on the culture of the ancient Britons before Roman occupation. Britain on the eve of invasion by Rome 2,000 years ago is often seen as a mysterious land, populated by warrior heroes and druid priests, its dark forests the scene of hideous and bloody rites. These peoples are commonly thought to have been relatively recent Celtic invaders from continental Europe. Such views, largely inherited from the imperial invaders and further refracted through modern nationalist histories, have been profoundly challenged in recent decades by a massive effort of archaeological investigation into this, the last phase of British prehistory: the Iron Age (c. eighth century BC to first century AD). Modern research reveals a far more complex picture than the traditional view of essentially uniform 'Celts'. The island supported many diverse peoples, few of which bore more than superficial resemblance to the received stereotype of recently-arrived, yet somehow 'timeless', barbarian warrior societies. Signs of mass invasion or immigration remain elusive; instead, it is now clear that most Britons were indigenous, members of farming-based communities which traced their roots deep in the insular Late Bronze Age. Through the Iron Age these groups evolved dynamically into increasingly populous, productive, wealthy and complex societies. Those in the West and North engaged in contacts across the Irish Sea and to Brittany; eastern and southern societies were increasingly integrated into the affairs of northern France and the Low Countries through diplomacy and war. By the time of first contact with Rome in the last century BC, some island 'tribal' communities were already becoming states with powerful aristocracies and emergent royal dynasties, and were more like Roman society than Romans would care to admit. However, other aspects of insular archaeology reveal gruesome practices that inspired Roman horror stories, and show that, paradoxically, Iron Age Britain also remains in many ways an alien and enigmatic world, which still has many startling secrets to reveal. Dr. James is currently part of the School of Archaeology & Ancient History at the University of Leicester, UK. In 1991, he received his PhD from the University of London. His interests include: Roman provincial archaeology, especially Rome's interactions with her neighbors in Northern Europe and on the Euphrates; Warfare and violence in the ancient world relating to the Roman military, and martial material culture; The construction of identities in the Roman era (especially in the Roman military, and the 'Celtic' world); Ancient Dura-Europos, Syria, as a case-study for the foregoing themes; and Modern appropriations and representations, especially visual, of past societies, in particular Romans and 'ancient Celts'. He has extensive fieldwork experience, in the UK (e.g. Anglo-Saxon settlement at Cowdery's Down, Hants., as assistant director, 1978-81; Ditches Iron Age hillfort and Roman villa, Glos., co-director, 1982-5), and overseas (Tel Sheva, Israel, 1973; Settefinestre Roman villa, Italy, 1978; Berry au Bac, Aisne, France, late Roman settlement, 1980; Hofheim Roman auxiliary fort, Germany, 1980; Monte Gelato, Roman villa and medieval estate centre, Italy, 1985-90). He is currently a member of the Franco-Syrian-led international expedition at Dura-Europos, Syria. For more information on the Midwest Archeological Center, visit http://www.cr.nps.gov/mwac/. Future AIA Lectures: April 2 Paul Demers, University of Nebraska Sun., 2:00 PM "Hitting the Road: Archaeological Investigation of Nebraska's Historic Trails" Abbott Lecture Hall, Joslyn Art Museum, 2201 Dodge Street, Omaha 03/06/2006 |
