Nothing Has Happened? The Integration Of The Lomellina Into The Roman Empire

The Italian Lomellina (province of Pavia), bordered by the rivers Ticino and Po and thus positioned at the crossroads between the Alps and the central Po valley, was firmly embedded in a network stretching beyond the Adriatic and connecting the area with the wider Mediterranean throughout the Iron Age. This PhD uses the mortuary record of the area to assess issues relating to identity change between the Late Iron Age and the period of Roman conquest. Across this period, the Lomellina was caught between indigenous resistance to and alliance with Rome, between cultural conservatism and new material developments. The results of these social, cultural and economic changes are reflected in the mortuary record of the Lomellina between the late 3rd century BC and AD 100. The quantitative and qualitative analysis for this study comprises 488 mortuary contexts from 32 individual excavation sites. Concepts such as ritual as well as practice theory and the comparison with the wider region shed light on question such as: how did the conquest and the subsequent integration into the Roman empire impact the communities of the Lomellina? How did the expression of identity through material culture and funerary rituals change? Is it possible to provide new answers to the old question of what ‘becoming Roman’ meant in this region? The archaeological record of the Lomellina shows that the Roman conquest of the wider region had a profound impact on the communities. Previous economic networks continued but the Lomellina experienced a boost for its local industries that was most likely facilitated by the growth of urban centres. Social relationships were transformed following the administrative and legal changes instigated by the Roman authorities. Culturally the archaeological records indicate the impact of a globalisation, an increased participation in and interconnectivity between wider economic and cultural networks.