Alternatives to Urbanism? Reconsidering Oppida and the Urban Question in Late Iron Age Europe

Tom Moore

doi:10.1007/s10963-017-9109-4

Abstract

The mega-sites of Late Iron Age Europe (traditionally known as oppida) provide an important dataset for exploring how complex social systems can articulate power in novel ways. The question of whether these can be described as ‘urban’ has overshadowed a deeper understanding of the development and role of such sites, with many studies examining this issue almost wholly against peculiarly classical concepts of urbanism, isolating Iron Age studies from wider debate. Rather than seek to redefine ‘towns’, this paper explores how and why oppida diverge from traditional concepts of urbanism, arguing that the form of oppida reflects their focus on particular aspects—assembly, theatricality, and the household—which reflect the nature of Late Iron Age societies. It will be suggested that oppida are comparable to a range of mega-sites and low-density settlements recognised throughout the world that represent alternative solutions to the social complications urbanism seeks to address.

Highlights

Large complexes, known as oppida, in Late Iron Age Europe (c. second century BC to first century AD) represent one of the most significant developments in prehistoric Europe
This paper examines why oppida diverge from ‘traditional’ forms of urbanism and, without drawing direct analogies, explores how they compare to a range of large social centres around the world, whether classified as ‘urban’ or not
Whether we should extend such definitions of urbanism to the polyfocal oppida in Europe is perhaps less important than recognising that, despite their divergent form, a unifying thread emerges in the role of oppida: that their main function was for assembly rather than as population centres

Summary

Introduction

Known as oppida, in Late Iron Age Europe (c. second century BC to first century AD) represent one of the most significant developments in prehistoric Europe. I suggest the morphology of oppida reflects the nature of Late Iron Age societies and, like many other ‘megasites’, they represent alternative solutions to managing increasingly large social entities.

Results

Conclusion