Late La Tene oppida in west and central Europe
This dissertation examined the significance of Late La Tene oppida in the contemporary society. The study questioned the validity of five common assumptions on oppida. First, the highly debated interpretation of oppida as urban settlements. Second, the related assumption that oppida had economic and political central functions over the region. Third, the assumed dependence of the oppida on the Mediterranean. Fourth, the common view that Late La Tene society was hierarchical and led by an hereditary elite. Finally, it questioned the fact that the oppidum is seen as a static, fixed concept. I intended to deconstruct these assumptions, and to find an alternative interpretation of the oppidum that valued the specific character of society and settlement. To achieve this aim, I analysed three oppida and focussed on evidence for urban features, central functions, contacts with the Mediterranean and social hierarchy. The selected sites are different in form and geographical location in order to examine the heterogeneity of the concept oppidum. The site analyses revealed that oppida were not urban settlements in the sense of the idealised Mediterranean city and that they did not exercise central place functions over
Vandemoortele, Kathleen
Late La Tene oppida in west and central Europe. This dissertation examined the significance of Late La Tene oppida in the contemporary society. The study questioned the validity of five common assumptions on oppida. First, the highly debated interpretation of oppida as urban settlements. Second, the related assumption that oppida had economic and political central functions over the region. Third, the assumed dependence of the oppida on the Mediterranean. Fourth, the common view that Late La Tene society was hierarchical and led by an hereditary elite. Finally, it questioned the fact that the oppidum is seen as a static, fixed concept. I intended to deconstruct these assumptions, and to find an alternative interpretation of the oppidum that valued the specific character of society and settlement. To achieve this aim, I analysed three oppida and focussed on evidence for urban features, central functions, contacts with the Mediterranean and social hierarchy. The selected sites are different in form and geographical location in order to examine the heterogeneity of the concept oppidum. The site analyses revealed that oppida were not urban settlements in the sense of the idealised Mediterranean city and that they did not exercise central place functions over
late oppida west_central europe examined significance late oppida contemporary_society study question_validity common_assumption oppida first highly debate interpretation oppida urban_settlement second related assumption oppida economic_political central function region third assume dependence oppida mediterranean fourth common view late society hierarchical lead hereditary elite finally question fact see static fixed concept intend deconstruct assumption alternative_interpretation value specific character society settlement achieve_aim analyse oppida focus evidence urban feature central function contact mediterranean social_hierarchy select_site different_form geographical_location order_examine heterogeneity concept site analysis_reveal oppida urban_settlement sense idealised mediterranean city exercise central place function