Iron Age Britain

In this essay, I am going to look at the evidence for social hierarchy in Iron Age Britain (800 BC – AD 100). I will look at what evidence we can find from burials, built structures, hill-forts, houses, coins, trade and crafted items. I will also briefly mention some of what the early Roman settlers in Britain observed.

One of the most obvious and famous forms of evidence for a social hierarchy in Iron Age Britain is Stonehenge. This structure can be seen as a communal effort, which it most certainly was. However, given the sheer size of the stones and the detail in which they are laid out, something as significant as Stonehenge suggests that there was an underlying purpose in the structure. (Riverside, P.4).

Recent research from the Stonehenge Riverside Project suggests that when Stonehenge was first assembled (c2500 BC), its main purpose was to serve as a burial ground. However, it seems clear that for those who came in possession of it later on, it would have been used as a statement of power – "These are my lands, this is my construction and is an example of my wealth in resources". (Riverside, P.4).

It is a good example of a local leader enforcing their authority. The construction of Stonehenge would have required a huge amount of labour which suggests that there was an authority figure in place with enough power to control the actions of a substantial amount of people. In addition to demonstrating the power of a region, it can also act as a deterrent to invaders, making the surrounding lands valuable and desirable. (Riverside, P.10).

This can be seen in archaeological digs in the area which have uncovered many pig and cattle bones, as well as flint arrowheads, pottery and lithic debris. These findings suggest ...

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...e heavy or rough work. (British Museum, 2011).

He also had healthy teeth with no visible cavities, and a trimmed beard. It is noted that Lindow Man was probably involved in some form of ritual sacrifice, possibly being the main focus of the event. Motives for him being chosen are unclear, the general opinion for these decisions is that the community would have chosen him for specific physical traits or mannerisms. (British Museum, 2011).

In conclusion, there are many forms of evidence for social hierarchy in Iron Age Britain that we can observe seen in long-standing monuments such as Stonehenge, hill-forts as with Danebury, showing distribution of goods, burials and clues that they can give us in specific terms as with the quality of Lindow Mans nails and shaven beard, amount of goods found in specific areas, and external observation, as with the Roman texts.