Synopsis

For two and a half thousand years the Celts have continued to fascinate those who have come into contact with them, yet their origins have remained a mystery and even today are the subject of heated debate among historians and archaeologists.

In this erudite and engaging illustrated history, Professor Cunliffe explores the archaeological reality of these bold warriors and skilled craftsmen of barbarian Europe who inspired fear in the Greeks and Romans. He investigates the texts of the classical writers and contrasts their view of the Celts with current archaeological findings. Tracing the emergence of chiefdoms and the fifth- to third-century migrations as far as Bosnia and the Czech Republic and into Turkey, he assesses the disparity between the traditional and contemporary information on the Celts.

Other aspects of Celtic identity, such as the cultural diversity of the tribes, their social and religious systems, their art, language and law, are also examined. From the picture that emerges, Professor Cunliffe is able to distinguish between the original Celts and tribes which were 'Celtized', thus giving us a new insight into the true identity of this ancient people.

KLIATT

From 1300 BC to 400 AD, a group of peoples known variously as Celts or Gauls figures prominently in the history of the development of the Greco-Roman world. Cunliffe, Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford University, presents a carefully detailed study of these people long colorfully chronicled in song and story. The strengths of this beautiful text are immediately obvious. Not only are there profuse and varied examples of Celtic art, often in color, but each illustration is annotated in detail. The maps in the text are plentiful and well explained; there is, in addition, a section of maps and chronological tables at the end of the book. The prose is extremely well written and well organized; each chapter is clear in its purpose and place in the overall work. The drawback is that The Ancient Celts could be somewhat difficult for the reader not already familiar with the field of archeology. The first six chapters are especially fascinating as they trace the many Celtic groups as they spread out across Europe, reaching Iberia and the Ireland in the west and as far as Asia Minor to the east. These chapters, however, abound with archeological terminology and theoretical concepts. Based not only on archeological finds but the commentaries of Roman writers, the later chapters on the Celtic communities, religious systems and finally Celts in retreat before the Romans and surviving on the Atlantic periphery of Europe are more descriptive and accessible. KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 1997, Penguin, 324p, 24cm, $21.95. Ages 16 to adult. Reviewer: Patricia A. Moore; Brookline, MA, September 2000 (Vol. 34 No. 5)

Biography

Barry Cunliffe is professor of European archaeology at Oxford University. His books include The Ancient Celts and Facing the Ocean: The Atlantic and Its Peoples.