Lesson Notes
Key Questions
How did the Insular Celts differ from those of mainland Europe?
What does this infer about the nature of those relationships?
What evidence do we have for the migration and movement of large groups of people during the Iron Age?
Invasion vs. Diffusion
Delaney on Linguistics
Linguistic scholars divide Celtic peoples into the so-called Goidelic and Brythonic branches, where the hard c- sound of the Goidels (e.g. the Irish or Scottish "Cenn", head) becomes a softer p-sound in Brythonic (Welsh or Cornish "Penn", head).
The first Celtic immigrants to the British Isles probably arrived between 2000 and 1200 BC. These are known as the q-Celts and spoke Goidelic. The label q-Celtic stems from the differences between the early Celtic and Italic (i.e. the language that developed into Latin) languages, which included the lack of a 'p' in Celtic and an 'a' rather than the Italic 'o'. A later wave of Brythonic-speaking Celtic immigrants is called the p-Celts.
The three Gaelic languages spoken in Ireland, Man and later Scotland were derived from Goidelic. Welsh and Cornish came from Brythonic. Brythonic survived in mainland Europe in the form of Breton.
The two Celtic language forms share words in common. The difference that gave rise to the labels (pCeltic and qCeltic) is seen in the way the word for horse ekvos in Indo-European, equos in q-Celtic; (cf equus in Latin) epos in p-Celtic.
The term giodelic occurred when the Irish Celts established colonies in present day Wales. The locals inhabitants called the Irish "gwyddel"(savages) and the term came to applied to their language.
Reference: Frank Delaney, "The Celts" (Grafton, London 1989: Chapter 1)
Art
An insular tradition of Celtic art developed in Britain from the 3d century BC on. It flourished and reached its peak in the early years of the 1st century AD. Stimulus for developing insular Celtic art was furnished by a few Waldalgesheim imports, and in its early stages the insular tradition was very close to its continental prototypes. In the 2d century BC various regional schools of Celtic art developed in Britain. The full flowering of the insular tradition can be seen in the so-called Mirror style of southern Britain, which flourished in the late 1st century BC and early 1st century AD. Mirror-style products were produced for Belgic overlords, under whose patronage were made a variety of metal objects, including bronze mirrors and tankards with ornamented handles, and ornamental ironwork. Characterized by symmetry and the use of basketry patterns, this style is seen at its best on mirror backs, an outstanding example of which is the incised and richly patinated example from Desborough, Northamptonshire (British Museum, London).
Insular art continued to be produced after the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43. In the 1st century AD two major hoards of ornamental metalwork were deposited in Wales: the Llyn Cerrig Bach (Anglesey) and Tal-y-Llyn (Merioneth) treasures (both in the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff). During the 1st and 2d centuries AD enameling became popular, and various types of horse fittings were the main products.
Source: http://draeconin.com/database/celtinfo.htm
- The Insular Celts
- Invasion vs. diffusion debate
- Maiden Castle
-
The Battersea Shield
Key Questions
How did the Insular Celts differ from those of mainland Europe?
What does this infer about the nature of those relationships?
What evidence do we have for the migration and movement of large groups of people during the Iron Age?
Invasion vs. Diffusion
Delaney on Linguistics
Linguistic scholars divide Celtic peoples into the so-called Goidelic and Brythonic branches, where the hard c- sound of the Goidels (e.g. the Irish or Scottish "Cenn", head) becomes a softer p-sound in Brythonic (Welsh or Cornish "Penn", head).
The first Celtic immigrants to the British Isles probably arrived between 2000 and 1200 BC. These are known as the q-Celts and spoke Goidelic. The label q-Celtic stems from the differences between the early Celtic and Italic (i.e. the language that developed into Latin) languages, which included the lack of a 'p' in Celtic and an 'a' rather than the Italic 'o'. A later wave of Brythonic-speaking Celtic immigrants is called the p-Celts.
The three Gaelic languages spoken in Ireland, Man and later Scotland were derived from Goidelic. Welsh and Cornish came from Brythonic. Brythonic survived in mainland Europe in the form of Breton.
The two Celtic language forms share words in common. The difference that gave rise to the labels (pCeltic and qCeltic) is seen in the way the word for horse ekvos in Indo-European, equos in q-Celtic; (cf equus in Latin) epos in p-Celtic.
The term giodelic occurred when the Irish Celts established colonies in present day Wales. The locals inhabitants called the Irish "gwyddel"(savages) and the term came to applied to their language.
Reference: Frank Delaney, "The Celts" (Grafton, London 1989: Chapter 1)
Art
An insular tradition of Celtic art developed in Britain from the 3d century BC on. It flourished and reached its peak in the early years of the 1st century AD. Stimulus for developing insular Celtic art was furnished by a few Waldalgesheim imports, and in its early stages the insular tradition was very close to its continental prototypes. In the 2d century BC various regional schools of Celtic art developed in Britain. The full flowering of the insular tradition can be seen in the so-called Mirror style of southern Britain, which flourished in the late 1st century BC and early 1st century AD. Mirror-style products were produced for Belgic overlords, under whose patronage were made a variety of metal objects, including bronze mirrors and tankards with ornamented handles, and ornamental ironwork. Characterized by symmetry and the use of basketry patterns, this style is seen at its best on mirror backs, an outstanding example of which is the incised and richly patinated example from Desborough, Northamptonshire (British Museum, London).
Insular art continued to be produced after the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43. In the 1st century AD two major hoards of ornamental metalwork were deposited in Wales: the Llyn Cerrig Bach (Anglesey) and Tal-y-Llyn (Merioneth) treasures (both in the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff). During the 1st and 2d centuries AD enameling became popular, and various types of horse fittings were the main products.
Source: http://draeconin.com/database/celtinfo.htm
Iron Age Britain - The Insular Celts
The Battersea Shield
Iron Age, 350-50 BC
Found in the River Thames at Battersea Bridge, London, England
The Battersea shield was not made for serious warfare. It is too short to provide sensible protection. The thin metal sheet and the complicated decoration would be easily destroyed if the shield was hit by a sword or spear. Instead, it was probably made for flamboyant display. The highly polished bronze and glinting red glass would have made for a great spectacle. It was finally thrown or placed in the River Thames, where many weapons were offered as sacrifices in the Bronze Age and Iron Age.
Iron Age shields are not commonly found. Those shields excavated from Iron Age burials were made of wood, sometimes covered with leather. They have very few metal parts. The Battersea shield is not in fact a complete shield, but only the facing, a metal cover that was attached to the front of wooden shield. It is made from different parts of sheet bronze, held together with bronze rivets and enclosed in a binding strip. All the rivets are hidden by overlaps between different components where the panels and roundels were originally attached to the organic backing.
All of the decoration is concentrated in the three roundels. A high domed boss in the middle of the central roundel is over where the handle was underneath. The La Tène-style decoration is made using the repoussé technique, emphasized with engraving and stippling. The overall design is highlighted with twenty-seven framed studs of red enamel (opaque red glass) in four different sizes, the largest set at the centre of the boss.
I.M. Stead, The Battersea Shield (London, The British Museum Press, 1985)
S. James and V. Rigby, Britain and the Celtic Iron Ag (London, The British Museum Press, 1997)
R. Bradley, A passage of arms (Cambridge University Press, 1990)
Iron Age, 350-50 BC
Found in the River Thames at Battersea Bridge, London, England
The Battersea shield was not made for serious warfare. It is too short to provide sensible protection. The thin metal sheet and the complicated decoration would be easily destroyed if the shield was hit by a sword or spear. Instead, it was probably made for flamboyant display. The highly polished bronze and glinting red glass would have made for a great spectacle. It was finally thrown or placed in the River Thames, where many weapons were offered as sacrifices in the Bronze Age and Iron Age.
Iron Age shields are not commonly found. Those shields excavated from Iron Age burials were made of wood, sometimes covered with leather. They have very few metal parts. The Battersea shield is not in fact a complete shield, but only the facing, a metal cover that was attached to the front of wooden shield. It is made from different parts of sheet bronze, held together with bronze rivets and enclosed in a binding strip. All the rivets are hidden by overlaps between different components where the panels and roundels were originally attached to the organic backing.
All of the decoration is concentrated in the three roundels. A high domed boss in the middle of the central roundel is over where the handle was underneath. The La Tène-style decoration is made using the repoussé technique, emphasized with engraving and stippling. The overall design is highlighted with twenty-seven framed studs of red enamel (opaque red glass) in four different sizes, the largest set at the centre of the boss.
I.M. Stead, The Battersea Shield (London, The British Museum Press, 1985)
S. James and V. Rigby, Britain and the Celtic Iron Ag (London, The British Museum Press, 1997)
R. Bradley, A passage of arms (Cambridge University Press, 1990)
Warriors
Readings: Iron Age chariots and medieval texts: a step too far in "breaking down boundaries"? by Karl Raimund Analysis of a Celtiberian protective paste and its possible use by Arevaci warriors by Jesús Martín-Gil*, Gonzalo Palacios-Leblé, Pablo Martín Ramos and Francisco J. Martín-Gil |
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Maiden Castle Hill Fort
Reading: Maiden Castle by Wikipedia
The impressive Iron Age hillfort of Maiden Castle was not the first monument on the hilltop - excavations have discovered a complex sequence of occupation, beginning over 6,000 years ago.