Migration and elite networks as modes of cultural exchange in Iron Age Europe : a case study of contacts between the continent and the Arras culture

The chariot burials of the Arras Culture reveal a strong link with the Continent, but what precisely is the nature of this connection? Were the chariot burials and other continental features introduced by immigrants from northern Gaul? If so, then why is the local British component so strong and why have features been adopted from different regions in northern Gaul, so that it is impossible to identify the immigrants' homeland? Migration was not the only type of mobility in Iron Age Europe; certain individuals travelled long distances and not necessarily for economic reasons. Social networks, and more specifically elite networks, were created through mechanisms like strategic marriages, clientship, hostageship and perhaps fosterage. When comparing the archaeological data from East Yorkshire with the evidence from various regions in northern Gaul, it becomes clear that these networks offer a more satisfactory explanation. Moreover, the introduction of chariot burials in East Yorkshire, in the early third century BC, coincides with the appearance of the same phenomenon in several regions in northern Gaul (for example in the Paris area). In the Aisne-Marne region, renowned for its rich chariot burials of the fifth and early fourth century BC, the tradition was long waning by this time. In the early third century BC, internationalisation is the keyword: ideas and technologies disseminate rapidly over very long distances; social networks become more complex and the world has become a smaller place. However, the exchanges between East Yorkshire and the Continent primarily took place in the field of ritual, and much less in other aspects of life, like weaponry or art styles. This raises the question to what extent druids and other learned men, and their networks, had a part in the introduction of new funerary practices in East Yorkshire.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo