- The Iron Age presents us with the first era in which we have written evidence of how people lived their lives and saw their place in the wider world. Iron Age society was still entirely centred around the oral tradition and did not make use of the written word, so we are reliant on how others observed them. The Romans left written accounts describing Iron Age society as they saw and understood it: Julius Caesar’s account of his military campaigns in Gaul being an obvious example. These must, however, be viewed carefully. He was writing from his own perspective for a politically motivated audience back in Rome, so his words are biased to some extent. He is also writing about a particular place, Gaul, at a particular time, the second half of the 1st century BC, when he was actively pursuing a military campaign.
- These words of caution aside, what we do know is that the two regional groupings that resided in South West Scotland had names which were known to the Roman invaders. The Novantae occupied the southern part of the region, with their regional centre perhaps located at Burnswark, while the Damonii were resident in the north. Walls Hill in Renfrewshire is a particularly large, defended hilltop settlement site which has been proposed as their potential regional centre. Studies of regional variation in settlement and material culture still regularly attempt to use these tribal groups as a means of establishing real or perceived differences in forms and styles across the region.
- A mixed agricultural regime was practised across the region, so the agricultural cycle would have played a vital role in the way almost everyone lived their life. The presence of militaristic equipment such as ornate sword scabbards (like the example from Bargany) and chariot fittings (like the bridle bits, terrets and strap-junctions from the Middlebie hoard) suggests a strong martial flavour to social display and, potentially, ritual practice. Both the Roman sources and later ‘Celtic’ literature from Ireland and Wales suggest that some individuals had expertise as warriors. The discovery of miniature wooden swords from Over Rig, identified as possible children’s toys, would suggest that fighting skills may have been taught at a youthful age. Whether this would suggest a specialist ‘warrior’ class or merely reflect a practical means of defending oneself in a dangerous world is open to debate.
- Another clearly defined category amongst ‘Celtic’ society, according to the Roman sources, is craftsmen. Certainly, there are in the region items which show considerable technical skill in their manufacture, such as the Torrs pony cap. These items also share a particular artistic style (the so-called ‘La Tene’ style), suggesting some degree of unified cultural expression which spans a considerable expanse of western Europe. This has been extended to infer a linguistic unity. There were also the so-called ‘druids’ highlighted by Julius Caesar. They formed what was interpreted by the Romans as a distinct priestly group who acted as custodians of learned traditions and lore. How far removed these specialist classes were from the rest of their community is unknown.
- Towards the middle of the Iron Age, we see a move towards the creation of monumental roundhouse structures. Often, these appear to be physically separated from the surrounding landscape, perhaps indicating a degree of social separation, of hierarchy, within the community. Perhaps certain lineages may have viewed themselves as more distinguished than others. The variability in settlement types so characteristic of South West Scotland may be an expression of these different lineages, their different origins and their different social and cultural allegiances. At the same time, these different communities may have felt sufficiently connected to consider themselves part of the same regional group, a kinship expressed partly in the tribal name, and partly in the use of the same artistic styles.
- That Iron Age society in South West Scotland was fond of display and personal adornment is supported by the magnificent items of decorative metalwork found across the region. Some degree of individualism is inferred by the unique character of objects like torcs, necklets and sword scabbards, and chariot teams were also equipped with distinctive motifs or decorated using inlaid material such as glass, enamel or even coral. How much this spectacular equipment was used in day-to-day life is questionable. It is possible that exotic items like the Torrs pony cap existed only as a prestige item which was exchanged as a high-level gift, then ultimately placed out of further use as a gift to the gods. A case for Celtic vanity has been put forward based on items like the Balmaclellan mirror (which was accompanied by the equally decorative mounts for a case), but it is also entirely possible that the mirror played some kind of religious role as a tool for scrying. More modest decorative items include bracelets of shale or lignite, examples of which have been found at Harpercroft and Hunterston.
- Thrusting their way into this world came the Romans. The relationship between the Roman military invaders and the Novantae appears to have been poor, with compelling evidence of an attack on the regional centre at Burnswark. Roman material does appear in small quantities in some of the monumental styles of roundhouse sites, which suggests that those occupying the upper levels of the hierarchy were able to acquire Roman material culture. Perhaps this ability to procure exotic material was important to maintain their identity and place in wider society. The picture does, however, appear to have been a complex one. There is still much to learn about how the people and communities in the Iron Age across South West Scotland viewed themselves, both intrinsically, in their own right, and in relation to neighbouring social groups, and from the 1st century AD onwards, in relation to the intrusive presence of the Roman military.