History and prehistory are always written from a point of view. In other words - we all have some kind of axe to grind and can rarely be totally objective.
A lot depends on what is exactly meant by the Celts. Some early writers saw the term "Celts" as another name for "barbarians" - just everyone who was not Roman. So in that context - everyone outside of the Roman Empire was Celtic. Other writers were more specific and located them in the Alps as a specific tribe. Their culture was incredibly impressive and their artwork of La Tene and Hallstadt was traded and copied throughout Europe. Those people never migrated to Britain and Ireland
My bottom line is that there does not appear to be any evidence of a Celtic invasion into Britain or Ireland. The people are mainly indigenous and come from a common Indo-European speaking root as the languages show. The Celts were a successful Alpine tribe who moved eastwards and southwards, but not into Britain and Ireland. Sure, we imported their artwork and copied it, but we were never Celtic.
Imagine a Martian archaeologist in a 1000 years time. He excavates your town and finds the remains of very many Japanese televisions, cars and cameras. He might deduce that in the 20th and 21st centuries, your town along with the whole of Britain and Ireland was invaded by Japanese people. He would be wrong of course. DNA studies along with comparitive historical linguistics and archaeology will tell us more and more. The idea that the people of Britain and Ireland (including Wales and Scotland) were Celtic was invented in the 18th century by Edward Lhuyd. No one quite knows why, but his mistake has been with us for far too long.
 Reply | with quote | Posted by PeterH
8th December 2005ce
15:38 |
Picts in Ireland (StewardsofGondor, Dec 06, 2005, 18:49)- Re: Picts in Ireland (PeterH, Dec 06, 2005, 20:16)
- Re: Picts in Ireland (BigSweetie, Dec 07, 2005, 01:02)
- Re: Unscholarly bias (follow that cow, Dec 10, 2005, 17:35)
- Re: Picts in Ireland (Mick, Nov 12, 2009, 21:50)
- Re: Picts in Ireland (Fraoch, Nov 29, 2009, 16:58)
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Re: Picts in Ireland (StewardsofGondor)