The Celts

[Incitatus]

Am i correct in thinking the celts immigrated from Gaul and that area bringing with them there culture? If so who was in Britain before?

[Favonius Cornelius]

You are correct, and in fact I believe that the Celts immigrated from the east (the steppes?) as they spread through all Europe ~2000-1000BC. There were original inhabitants in Britannia, but as far as I know their identity and culture is very much hidden to the mists of time. The same can be said for probably all the areas which Celts expanded into.

[Cyrus]

If you

[Perseverantius]

Am i correct in thinking the celts immigrated from Gaul and that area bringing with them there culture? If so who was in Britain before?

14773[/snapback]

 

The Tuatha de Danaan...

heh

 

No one is really sure who was there when the Celts got there or even exactly when they got there but a lot of paleo-anthropologists believe the Picts were indigenous. From this it is often concluded that the islands, at the time the Celts got there were populated by a people who tattooed themselves and colored themselves blue with woad. They were eventually beaten back into the highlands of Scotland where they continued to live until the time of the later emperors and the Roman occupation.

 

It's guessed that they were, eventually absorbed into the larger genetic pool.

[Moonlapse]

Anyone curious about the people who came before the Celts and other mesolithic/neolithic people should pick up this book:

 

After the Ice by Steven Mithen.

 

I highly recommend it.

[Tobias]

I understand that when that Roman legion under the equal command of Sabinus and Cotta in Gaul was annihilated by those Eubrones under Ambiorix, Ambiorix commented on "these shorn Romans!" because he couldn't wrap the short cropped hair of Sabinus' severed head around his fingers and carry it. This was quite amusing , although the repurcussions of the defeat of this legion was quite unfortunate.

[Demson]

Personally I see what would become the Celtic 'culture' as the continuation of an phenomenon that happened when metalworking techniques became avaible to humankind.

 

I've studied the Celts and Romans in comparison to each and it's really quite remarkable how similar they were. Almost every trait possessed by the Celts were also possessed by the Romans. The Romans possessed other traits too however, which is why I say they ended up dominating the Celts. Consider the Celts grew to become a major part of the Roman empire (well, except near the Hadrian and Antonine) after their leadership was dealt with, and it makes sense. It's said the Roman and Celtic cultures were rivals; I say they complemented each other.

 

Then again, I'm generally not taken very seriousily, hahah

[Tobias]

i read that the Romans under Caesar in britain could not initially come to terms with the archaic yet dangerous war chariots used by the tribes there. These celtae etc. here must have been rather fearsome to scare Caesar's legions!