Tristan Hughes

So what are these things called opida?

Colchester.

And this is the time when you're starting to get interactions with Rome.

So accounts like Julius Caesar, mentions of tribal names and tribal kings and so on.

You mentioned the arrival of coinage as well.

This is when that becomes another interesting source, which you can then use alongside the archaeology to learn more.

Was it fair to say that it's almost, I know you mentioned that there seems to be a little bit of a break between them, but almost the mid Iron Age, the bigger centres in Iron Age Britain at least are defined by the Great Hill Forts and activity there.

And then the later Iron Age, that's replaced with the emergence of these operda instead, but maybe they have similar-ish functions?

And people going still from their like kind of roundhouse farmsteads and maybe like communal gathering places inside these earthworks at these opera sites?

I'm trying to think if it's almost the Iron Age equivalent to an extent of something like Glastonbury.

But if you know what I mean, lots of people in an area together, probably very smelly as well after several days there.

But for an important event, of course, we can use the word ceremonial, but of course, big decisions for the larger polity that they're part of.

Maybe they'll see the figure at the top, you know, a king or a queen and so on there too.

Do you think this is a good place?

I think we can bring in chariots here and go back to the Melsenby hoard because processions we can be thinking about maybe happening there, a display of power, a display of wealth.

you know, happening at places like Opida.

And of course, one of the big vehicles we associate with Iron Age Britain is the chariots, or is wagons elaborate vehicles?

And in time as well, maybe even in a place like Yorkshire, in Stanwick, do we think that they're bringing in things like amphora?

They're bringing in Roman goods as well?

They're very much adopting those ideas, those objects, those luxuries from beyond the borders of Britain?