The Ancient Celts

Inhabited a vast area of Europe

Most of their culture, history and technology was completely wiped out by the Romans
They were considered to be nomadic
Occupying large areas of East, West and Central Europe, from about 1000 BC
These were places like France, North Italy, Germany, Spain and the British Isles.
The Celts were a people made up of many different tribes all over Europe who shared a
common linguistic base.
They were a people renown for their oral traditions, having bards who shared many sagas
and other tribal stories.
Evidence of Celtic writings has been found in Spain and modern day France.
The Greeks first referred to the Celts in about 500 BC as the Keltoi.
Later on during Julius Caesars conquest, they are referred to as Celtae and Galli.
They only ancient written sources we have about the Celts are Greco-Roman and are
hostile towards them.
The Hallstatt period (named after a place in Austria) lasted from about 1200 to 475 BC.
During the Hallstatt period, their economy was based on farming and the mining of
minerals and metals and trade.
Hilltop Forts came into use by the Celts between 800 and 600 BC, with examples of them
being at Danebury and Maiden in Britain.
The Celts were said to have traded amber and ore for 'luxuries' with the Greeks.
In 500 BC, trade shifted from Massilia, France with the Greeks to the Italian coast line with
the Etruscans.
Most of our archaeological evidence about the Celts comes from Tumulus graves (large
burial mounds that were built on top of the bodies). The largest one found is at Heuneburg.
When Celtic people died they were buried with their possessions (e.g. wagons, torcs)
The Hochdorf grave found by Jorg Biel, was fully in intact, amazing find.
In the Hochdorf grave the body found was that of a tall male, wearing expensive clothing
and a lot of gold. Bacteria killing oxides were found in the grave.
The art of the La Tene period (named after a place in Switzerland) was heavily influenced
by Mediterranean cultures.
The Celts were a polytheistic people, who did not have a pantheon of gods like the Greeks
and the Romans. Each tribe had their own cults and deities.
Nature was worshipped by the Celts for its special qualities, e.g. water and healing.
Animals were also worshipped for their own special qualities, e.g. bore and its courage.
The Celts offered weapons and jewelry, as well as humans as sacrifices to their gods.
The druids played many roles in Celtic society (teachers, judges, priests) and they had
special privileges and controlled all religious ceremonies.
When Gaul and Britain was conquered by Rome, the Romans attempted to wipe out the
druids, as they had the power to lead a rebellion against the Romans.
The Coligny Calendar is one of the only sources of information we have about druids from
the past, it is a 2nd century AD druid document.
Vercingetorix was a chieftain who raised an army, uniting tribes and fought successfully
against the Romans for a while, applying the 'Scorched Earth policy'.
Though Julius Ceasar defeated him at the battle of Alesia, it was a siege and the Romans
were renown for their siege skills and weapons.
Boudicca was the wife of a Celtic chieftain, who raised an army and attacked the Romans.
She did this because of the way that the Romans mistreated her people.
 They were able to raise London, but were defeated in a pitched battle against an
organised Roman army.
In the 1st century BC Commius was appointed king over the Celts by Julius Caesar,
Commius rule was a sort of 'puppet' kingship.
Cassiveluanus was the chieftain who led the army who fought Julius Caesars second
invasion of Britain.