Jamie L. Hoehn in Collaboration with Dr. Matthew WatersJamie L. Hoehn in Collaboration with Dr. Matthew WatersDepartment of HistoryDepartment of History UniversityUniversity of Wisconsinof Wisconsin EauEau ClaireClaire

Caesar’s Gallic Wars and the Archaeological Record Caesar’s Gallic Wars and the Archaeological Record 

Historical BackgroundHistorical Background Lessons for the PresentLessons for the Present

Department of History Department of History  University University of Wisconsinof Wisconsin‐‐Eau Eau ClaireClaire

De Bello Gallico (The Gallic War)is Julius Caesar’s account of the massive military campaigns

Every ancient text must be read critically, because many classical authors were not entirely objective in their observations. They had a variety of

Possible Explanations for Caesar’s Possible Explanations for Caesar’s Inaccurate ReportsInaccurate Reports

Personal political motives. C t t i i d i

y p ghe led in Europe from 58 BCE to 51 BCE. Caesar sent his commentaries to Rome every winter, detailing his numerous victories and occasional defeats.

motivations for producing their works and developing their focuses within them.We must readjust our approach to archaeology, both in the focus of excavations and the interpretation of artifacts. There needs to be a less Romano-centric emphasis, as well as a greater acknowledgment of the indigenous Europeans’ sophistication and social complexity.The results of these efforts will be a deeper

Caesar strove to gain experience and improve his reputation in Rome.Caesar intentionally fostered dissent amongst the tribes.

Preconceived notions.The concept of a “tribe” was more familiar to the Romans than the complex social system which actually existed.M i ti i i i G k

De Bello Gallico provides important information about the political, social and cultural traditions of indigenous Europeans.

Julius Caesar

Disparities between Caesar’s Accounts Disparities between Caesar’s Accounts and the Material Evidenceand the Material Evidence

Gauls and Germans: Caesar describes two distinct groups separated by the Rhine

The results of these efforts will be a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, Europe’s history and ancestral heritage.

Mass migrations, previous invasions, Greek sources, “periphery theory”.

Incomplete understanding.The social and political conditions were distorted due to stress caused by Roman presence.Translation errors and intentionally misleading intelligence.

Archaeology has revealed a more nuanced picture, enhancing our understanding of Europe during the Iron Age and early Roman Period.

distinct groups separated by the Rhine.La Tene is a specific style of ornamentation found on both sides of the Rhine. This style emerged during the mid-5th century BCE.Rhineland groups were also characterized by similar pottery, elaborate inhumation burials, ornate fibulae (special pins used to keep clothing in place), and oppida (naturally fortified villages). Select BibliographySelect Bibliography

A Battle Scene between Roman Soldiers and Indigenous Europeans

g )The distinctions between “Gauls” and “Germans” were first made by Caesar. In the textual tradition, these labels functioned both to glorify his martial victories and justify his defeats. Implicit in De Bello Gallico is Caesar’s assertion that Gauls were more civilized and could therefore be conquered and assimilated; Germans, however, were wild and could not be successfully integrated

Explanations for a Distorted Explanations for a Distorted Archaeological RecordArchaeological Record

Scholarly bias.19th century nationalist movements played a

f l bl h d

Select BibliographySelect BibliographyFreeman, Philip ed. War, Women and Druids: Eyewitness Reports

and Early Accounts of the Ancient Celts. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2002.

King, Anthony. Roman Gaul and Germany. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990.

Moreland, John. Archaeology and Text. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd., 2001.

Schadee, Hester. “Caesar’s Construction of Northern Europe: Inquiry, Contact and Corruption in ‘De Bello Gallico.’”

Geographic Focus of Caesar’s Gallic Wars: Gaul, Germania, Belgica and Britannia

wild and could not be successfully integrated.“Then too I saw that it was dangerous for Rome to have the Germans gradually getting into the habit of crossing the Rhine and coming into Gaul in vast numbers. Once they had occupied the whole of Gaul I did not imagine that such a fierce and uncivilized people would refrain from moving out, […] pressing on into Italy” (Bel. Gal. 1.33).

significant role in establishing precedents. Texts have been used to guide archaeological investigations.

Roman sites are easier to detect than native settlements.

Consequently, less effort has been employed in locating and excavating indigenous sites and

Classical Quarterly 58, no. 1 (2008): 158-180.Wells, Peter S. The Barbarians Speak: How the Conquered Peoples

Shaped Roman Europe. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999.

Wolfram, Herwig. The Roman Empire and Its Germanic Peoples. trans. Thomas Dunlap. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997.

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsFunding provided by:p g y ( )

Expansive forests filled with fantastical creatures.Caesar frequently references immense forests, but pollen testing has revealed that widespread clearing had begun prior to Roman occupation.

interpreting indigenous artifacts.Romano-centric emphasis.

g p yDifferential Tuition Fund

Special thanks to:Dr. Matthew WatersDepartment of HistoryOffice for Research and Sponsored Programs Faculty/Student Research Collaboration La Tene FibulaArchaeological Dig in Gaul (France)