Editing Chauci (section)

==Society and life==
[[File:Hallig Hooge 2005.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Terpen on [[Hooge, Germany|hallig Hooge]]]]
The Germans of the region were not strongly hierarchical. This had been noted by [[Tacitus]], for example when he mentioned the names of two kings of the first century [[Frisii|Frisians]] and added that they were kings "as far as the Germans are under kings".<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Tacitus|117|pp=253}}, ''The Annals'', Bk XIII, Ch 54. Events of AD 54&ndash;58.</ref> Haywood (''Dark Age Naval Power'', 1999) says the Chauci were originally neither highly centralised nor highly stratified, though they became more so after 100&nbsp;AD.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Haywood|1999|pp=19–20}}, ''Dark Age Naval Power''. The referenced footnote notes that the Chauci heartland between the Elbe and Weser contained huge cremation cemeteries with a uniform range of poor quality grave goods. In the second century aristocratic cemeteries with rich grave goods appear.</ref>  [[Barbara Yorke]], speaking of the fifth century, describes the 'Continental Saxons' (which then included the Chauci) as having powerful local families and a dominant military leader.<ref>{{Citation
|last=Yorke
|first=Barbara
|author-link=Barbara Yorke
|year=2006
|editor-last=Robbins
|editor-first=Keith
|contribution=
|title=The Conversion of Britain: Religion, Politics and Society in Britain c.600&ndash;800
|publisher=Pearson Education Limited
|publication-date=2006
|publication-place=Harlow
|page=59
|isbn=978-0-582-77292-2
}}</ref>

Writing in AD&nbsp;79, [[Pliny the Elder]] said that the Germanic tribes were members of separate groups of people, suggesting a distinction among them. He said that the Chauci, [[Cimbri]] and [[Teutons|Teutoni]]&mdash;the people from the River Ems through [[Jutland]] and for some distance inland&mdash;were members of a group called [[Ingaevones]] (a "Cimbri" people were also given as members of a different group, and this is likely a different people).<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Pliny the Elder 79a|pp=346–347}}, ''Natural History'', Bk IV, Ch 28: Germany. A footnote suggests that the two references to the Cimbri in two different groups were not references to the same people.</ref>

[[Tacitus]], writing in AD&nbsp;98, described the inland, non-coastal Chauci homeland as immense, densely populated, and well-stocked with horses. He was effusive in his praise of their [[ethos|character as a people]], saying that they were the noblest of the Germans, preferring justice to violence, being neither aggressive nor predatory, but militarily capable and always prepared for war if the need arose.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Tacitus|98|pp=61–62}}, ''The Germany'', XXXV.</ref>

Pliny (AD&nbsp;23&ndash;79) had visited the coastal region and described the Chauci who lived there. He said that they were "wretched natives" living on a barren coast in small cottages (or huts) on hilltops, or on mounds of turf built high enough to stay dry during the highest tide (i.e., ''[[Artificial dwelling hill|terpen]]''). They fished for food, and unlike their neighbors (i.e., those living inland, away from the coast) they had no cattle, and had nothing to drink except rainwater caught in ditches. They used a type of dried mud (i.e., "surface [[peat]]") as fuel for cooking and heating. He also mentioned their spirit of independence, saying that even though they had nothing of value, they would deeply resent any attempt to conquer them.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Pliny the Elder 79b|pp=339}}, ''Natural History'', Bk XVI, Ch I: Countries that have no trees. Pliny also notes that the Chauci lived between the Rivers Ems and Elbe.</ref>
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