Resistance is Useless! Culture, Status, and Power in the Civitas Icenorum

Abstract

The interpretation of past status and hierarchy often relies on modern concepts of social stratification. Despite much debate over the structure of Late Iron Age and early Romano-British societies, there remains a tendency to refer uncritically to the role of ‘native elites’ in cultural contact and change. This paper reassesses assumptions surrounding the Iceni, a group known historically for their uprisings against Roman occupation. While their seemingly slow uptake of continental imports, compared with elsewhere in southern Britannia, may demonstrate cultural conservatism or deliberate resistance, I argue that this was a nuanced and selective process. Through analysis of numerous small finds, this paper explores the evidence for spatial, conceptual, and material boundaries between the Iceni and their neighbours, and between colonised and colonisers. Instead of anticipating territories or identities based on Classical narratives, it reconsiders the complexities of social organisation and resistance through the lens of material culture.