ABSTRACT
Chapter 3 presented an overview of the chronological, geographical and site-level spatial patterns evident in weaponry and horse gear finds from non-military contexts in the eastern Rhine delta. Before proceeding in subsequent chapters to link these patterns with specific types of use and significance, I shall first examine how weaponry and horse gear production was organised during the Roman period and discuss the symbolic significance of the decorative elements. These two aspects are important because production underpinned possibilities for use, while symbolic imagery enhanced the significance that soldiers and other users attached to weaponry and horse gear. They also help us to identify the extent to which ‘military’ objects were manufactured specifically for the Roman army or were also intended for civilian use.
