Migration and Ethnic Dynamics in the Lower Rhine Frontier Zone of the Expanding Roman Empire (60 BC–AD 20): A Historical-Anthropological Perspective

A substantial influx of immigrant groups from east of the Rhine occurred during the Roman Empire's expansion, contradicting historical models that suggested more homogeneous origins. This finding emerges from a pilot project analyzing the Batavian river delta using combined archaeological methods, revealing complex processes of migration, fusion, and fission among tribes reshaping power dynamics in the frontier zone. The study underscores how conflict-induced migrations contributed to the reordering of tribal maps around 60 BC–AD 20, offering new insights into Roman frontier dynamics.

Roymans, N., & Habermehl, D. (2022). Migration and Ethnic Dynamics in the Lower Rhine Frontier Zone of the Expanding Roman Empire (60 BC–AD 20): A Historical-Anthropological Perspective. Rethinking Migrations in Late Prehistoric Eurasia, 292–312. https://doi.org/10.5871/bacad/9780197267356.003.0014