Barry Cunliffe: Who Were the Celts?
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Channel: BYU Department of Anthropology
Views: 209,354
Rating: 4.7116413 out of 5
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Length: 105min 4sec (6304 seconds)
Published: Tue Feb 04 2014
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I know there are folks in this sub who are interested in Celtic heritage/history, so when I saw this great video posted on /r/Paganacht I thought I would give it some attention here as well.
The video contains two lectures given by Barry Cunliffe, a prominent Celtic archaeologist. It centers on how advances in archaeology and linguistics are putting the age-old assumptions (mostly based on the writings of Classical historians) we have had about Celtic history to the test. New discoveries indicate amazing things, such as that the Celtic language may have developed in the British isles rather than the continent and that Celtic culture was largely sustained by maritime trade routes along the Atlantic coast of Northern Europe and the British Isles.
I was surprised to learn that Celtic culture remained quite consistent and defined despite the fact that tribes were so far-flung in an age with relatively limited media and travel. Even the Celts who had migrated as far as Anatolia (the Galatians) maintained their distinctiveness from other ethnic groups for centuries.
Another bit I found particularly interesting is how the ancient Greek historian Polybius saw Celtic swords that had been bent for ritual purposes and spun a tall tale about how Celtic swords were so inferior that they bent on the first blow. He went into detail to say that Celtic warriors would have to throw the sword on the ground and straighten it with their feet. Another ancient Greek historian, Plutarch, makes the same declaration centuries later.
Archaeology proves this is a bunch of bunk and that the Celts had fine craftsmanship. This is yet another cautionary tale to be highly skeptical and analytical when reading from the Classical sources. Not only would Classical historians spin detailed, realistic-sounding fictions, but they would parrot those fictions from other, older historians, which only makes the falsehoods seem more legitimate.
The Classical historical accounts are the most detailed documentaries we have about the ancient druids, and are thus very important. But archaeology and critical thinking go a long way to cast doubt on many of their claims, unfortunately.
X-Post referenced from /r/Paganacht by /u/c_brighde
Barry Cunliffe: Who Were the Celts?
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I do love me some Cunliffe.