Religious Practice and Identity in Roman Provinces History Essay
you are asked to consider how identity is performed at two Roman-period religious sites in the provinces of Gaul and Britain, the same ones that you were asked to analyze for your third case study. For your essay, please focus on three elements of provincial identity for which these sites provide us with evidence, and what that evidence can tell us about the identities of the individuals who constructed and used these sites. Important considerations are the degree to which this identity is distinct from what you know of ‘Roman’ identity during the imperial period (particularly at Rome and within Italy), potential elements of local or regional identity, and what the remains of these sites might tell us about how their histories (real or perceived) affect their present provincial or colonial identities. You are encouraged to engage in some level of research to help you answer these questions, and you may wish to draw on readings assigned for this course to help you interpret the archaeological evidence
Your choice of connection must be very specific in order for you to write about it in any detail.
5 pages in length.
You are prohibited from using resources that I have not provided. Your essay will base on the two articles I posted. Read them carefully
Please use the Chicago format, read the web site if your are not sure.
https://www(dot)chicagomanualofstyle(dot)org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-1.html
RELIGIOUS PRACTICE AND IDENTITY IN ROMAN PROVINCES
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Performances of Identity: Ribemont–Sur-Ancre and Marcham sites
The term Romanticization pertains to the process by which Roman territories were civilized. It is a crucial idea on the analysis of Roman provincial culture, as Rome accustomed these provinces with a similar and more refined culture than its own. Religion takes the centerpiece of Roman influence since, in a more colonial setting, religious practice is always the central point in the averting of insurgency. Religion is also a tenet of indigenous acculturation. The Ribemont-Sur-Ancre and Marcham localities give us a perception of the practices spread by the Roman Empire in Gaul region. Numerous elements, inscriptions, and archaeological shreds of evidence depict the influence of the Roman ritual in the above-mentioned sites. It is imprudent to examine the activities of the local community involved in the construction of these Iron Age epoch religious sites. It is fair to say that the indulgence of these workers was ritually motivated, which gives us a rough idea of how religion formed their identity. The Romans deployed torque and emblems which served as distinct kinds of ethnographic representations for its provinces of Gaul and Britain. Archaeological records encompassing these places validate the significance of these emblematic ritual pieces of evidence in the culture of the Iron Age people of Roman Provinces. It also fortifies the significant history and symbolic depiction of the cultural uniqueness of these Gallic people under the rule of the Romans and how it influences their present provincial or colonial identities.[Johnston, Andrew C. The Sons of Remus : Identity in Roman Gaul and Spain. Harvard University Press, 2017. p232]
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The Sanctuary of Ribemont-Sur-Ancre in Gaul
The sanctuary of Ribemont- Sur-Ancre was deemed among the 'lieux de memoire' (places of memory) charged with meaning as linked to the origin of communities from which their social memory could be traced. Beginning in the third century B.C., the history of Ribemont-Sur-Ancre commenced with the construction of a circular and quadrangular enclosure on the site of the later sanctuary. The succeeding interpretation of the enclosures is that they make up a coupled monument, erected by the conquerors of a great battle that transpired in the valley in the site's background. It is understood that this circular enclosure intensified the funeral treatment of the fallen comrades of the winners of this battle and the following commemorative celebration. Also, the quadrangular enclosure advanced the ritual treatment of the losing warriors and their weapons, by which they were offered as a sacrifice to the gods. From the discussed features, it is apparent the builders of these sanctuaries were non-Christian soldiers, who built the Ribemont sanctuary as a commemorative construction in the memory of their fallen warriors.[. Rose, David S. Lieux de Mémoire, Central Places, and the Sanctuary of Ribemont-sur-Ancre: A Preliminary Look. PhD Thesis, Edinburg: University of Edinburgh, 2015; p.57] [Brunaux, J. L., et al. "Ribemont-sur-Ancre." Gallia 56 (1999): 177-283.] [. Rose, 2015, p.60]
However, the latter quadrangular enclosure does not have a dedicatory and ritual significance. It is a manifestation of the differences between which the treatment given to the buried soldiers can be seen. The funerary treatment of the two groups of warriors is contrastingly connotative of how the locals considered their people as compared to outsiders. The quadrangular enclosure comprises altars at the four corners and the sacred grove at its center, depicting it was designed as a sacred installation. The fallen soldiers were given a reverent burial while the enemy warriors were buried in a mass grave ‘charnier’ outside the quadrangular enclosure. A requisite aspect of the funerary treatment given to these individuals is the ritualistic beating administered to the enemy warriors on the outside mass grave, exhibited in conforming blows on the bones. The importance of the corpse dismembering ritual is unclear, apparently, a practice representing the ritual, as a human sacrifice to the gods rather than a burial practice. Human and animal bones have been found in the enclosure trench and cylindrical pit, together with ceramics, weaponry, and other well-preserved artifacts. The Ribemont-Sur-Ancre site's reoccupation purported the connection of the local community to the site. Ribemont served as a gathering place, associated with the origin of the community. After activity increased around the Gallic area, the site proved attractive, and the locals viewed their ancestors as community role models and protectors.[Rose, 2015, p.64] [Ricard, J. Représentation du Guerrier Gaulois à travers les Restes Osseux Découverts ...