External influences

Definition

External influences refer to the impacts and contributions from outside cultures, societies, or environments that affect the practices, beliefs, and technologies of a specific region. In the context of burial practices during the Iron Age, these influences can include trade relationships, migrations, and the introduction of new religious beliefs or rituals from neighboring cultures, which played a significant role in shaping local customs and traditions.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Iron Age burial practices often show signs of external influences through variations in grave goods, which may include items from different cultures or regions.
2. Trade networks during the Iron Age facilitated the exchange of not only goods but also ideas about death and burial from neighboring cultures.
3. Changes in burial practices can indicate shifts in belief systems as societies interacted with others, leading to syncretism in rituals.
4. Archaeological evidence shows that some communities adopted foreign materials or styles in their burial practices as a result of external interactions.
5. Understanding external influences helps archaeologists trace the movement and interaction of people across regions during the Iron Age.

Review Questions

• How did external influences shape the burial practices during the Iron Age?
  • External influences significantly shaped Iron Age burial practices by introducing new rituals, materials, and grave goods from neighboring cultures. These interactions often occurred through trade routes or migrations, allowing societies to adopt or adapt foreign customs in their own burial practices. This exchange can be seen in the variety of artifacts found in graves, reflecting a blend of local traditions with outside influences.
• Discuss how trade networks contributed to the spread of external influences on burial customs in Iron Age societies.
  • Trade networks played a crucial role in spreading external influences on burial customs by facilitating not just the movement of goods but also cultural exchanges. As traders interacted with different communities, they shared their own beliefs and practices regarding death and funerary rites. This led to a rich tapestry of burial customs that incorporated elements from various cultures, showcasing how interconnected Iron Age societies were through commerce.
• Evaluate the impact of external influences on local belief systems related to death and burial during the Iron Age.
  • External influences had a profound impact on local belief systems regarding death and burial during the Iron Age. As cultures interacted, they often merged their ideas about the afterlife and appropriate rituals for honoring the dead. This fusion can be analyzed through archaeological findings that reveal shifts in grave goods or construction styles of burial sites. Such changes not only reflect adaptations to foreign practices but also highlight evolving identities within those societies as they navigated their relationship with external cultures.

Related terms

Cultural diffusion: The spread of cultural beliefs and social activities from one group to another, often occurring through trade, migration, or conquest.

Burial rites: The specific customs and ceremonies associated with the burial of the dead, which can vary widely based on cultural beliefs and external influences.

Material culture: Physical objects, resources, and spaces that people use to define their culture; often provides insight into external influences on a society through artifacts.