Egalitarianism and resistance: A theoretical proposal for Iron Age Northwestern Iberian archaeology

Abstract

We propose a theory of “egalitarianism” as an active historical factor in contexts which have been traditionally considered structurally hostile to it, such as complex agrarian societies. First, we review thoroughly the main anthropological and sociological contributions to resistance against hierarchization in agrarian social contexts (taking into account peasant studies and a segmentary lineage’s tradition). Specific emphasis is placed on the forms of organizing production. Then we go through the archaeological landscape of the Iberian Northwestern Iron Age in order to evidence the viability of “assertive egalitarianism” where control of resources was distributed among social segments (households and settlements). We will show a historical process that diverges from what occurs at that time in hierarchical regions. By combining two levels of archaeological analysis (regional and local) we will conclude that a large part of the Iberian Northwest was occupied, from the 8th up to 2nd centuries BC by egalitarian social formations – with social exploitation absent – whose anti-hierarchization structures only crumbled upon the presence of Rome from the 2nd century BC onwards.