‘Ravaged’ Boudiccan rebels actually lived on in harmony
SUCH was the fury of Britain’s Roman rulers at Boudicca’s revolt that even after her defeat and death the Iceni “were ravaged with fire and sword”.
And that, as far the popular story goes, was the end of the rebellious tribe.
But archaeological discoveries at a site near Norwich are painting a different picture of what happened after the revolt, which happened between AD 60 and 61. They reveal that the Iceni gently integrated into Romano-british society, and even 250 years later were living happily in East Anglia.
“It’s a popular misconception that the Iceni disappeared after the Boudiccan revolt,” Dr William Bowden, professor of Roman archaeology at the University of Nottingham and a member of the dig team, said.
While Tacitus and other sources suggest that the
Iceni were ground into dust, the archaeological evidence shows the impact of Roman retaliation was relatively limited, said Dr Bowden, in contrast to the destruction meted out by Boudicca herself.
Archaeological work at a site in Caistor St Edmund, near Norwich, has shown that, like so many other tribes in Roman Britain, the Iceni appear to have carefully selected which bits of imperial culture they wanted to use and which they could happily ignore.
While they embraced Roman coinage, pottery and textiles, they did not adopt mosaics and large villas.
“They’re picking and choosing the things that interest them and are relevant to their lives and aspirations,” said Dr Bowden.
The large temple at the centre of the archaeological site, first excavated in 1957 and one of the biggest of its kind, is the exception to this rejection of Roman architecture. However, it also illustrates the integration of Roman and British culture.
The site was of religious importance in the Iron Age but it took its monumental form under the Romans,
‘It’s a popular misconception that the Iceni disappeared after the Boudiccan revolt’
with gods such as Venus added into the mix.
Among the new finds, first reported by the BBC, were complete pottery vessels, household grindstones made from imported lava, bone and bronze pins,
and dismembered animal bones. All the items had been deliberately placed in the ground, adding evidence for some kind of syncretism between local and Roman beliefs.
“When people think about Roman Britain, they tend to think lots of people suddenly come over from Italy, and do Roman stuff and then disappear 300 years later. And of course, it’s not like that at all,” said Dr Bowden.