The Celtic History Podcast

20/01/2024

From the Podcast thought you guys would like. Gallic spearpoint in a Roman skull circa 52BCE (Gallic War)

18/01/2024

I'm going to be posting a content update soon! Think I'm gonna have end season 1 here. The number 1 priority of this podcast is quality research, and season 2 covers the rise and heights of Le Téne which requires a lot of research and careful consideration.

In the meantime, I'm planning to post supplementary content, and I plan to continue our Picts insta series, but my interview with Dr. Noble has been delayed due to unforseen circumstances

25/12/2023

Brilliant secret Santa present!

06/12/2023

⚠️Attention preservers of Gaelic culture⚠️

The University of Aberdeen's prestigious Gaelic language department is at risk of closure!

Please show you support by copying and pasting the link into your URL and signing this petition

https://chng.it/yscQBP4yp2

Ps apologies for my silence since posting the last episode. I'm taking December to study and rest

28/11/2023

Early birthday present from my darling wife to prepare for my interview and inform my Picts Instagram series .duncan

07/11/2023

The origin of the "Picts" as a people are even more of a quagmire than the Celts

The word "Picti" in Latin means painted which you've likely already heard but this is used by the Romans to describe many of the tribes of ancient Briton from the Cantici of the South to the Calendonii during the conquest of Briton in the first century BC. Painted could either refer to woad or tattoos which are often depicted in modern art and media

The Picts emerge in the written record as a specific group during the crisis of the 3rd century with our famously lazy Roman ethnographers. In 267 AD the Picts were one of many groups who took the opportunity to raid the Empire's during a period when the authority of the Emperors broke down and the Roman world changed forever.

There isn't much specific information that can help us understand who or what the Picts are. For Rome they are the uncouth barbarians on the edge of the world.

We'll have to fast forward for more

06/11/2023

The Picts! Celtic? Neolithic? Scythian?
Enigma..

After visiting some of the most significant Pictish sights in Moray (pronounced Murr-Ray) I have enough material to do a short Instagram series on these most enigmatic and fascinating people.

I was also lucky enough to be at Burghead while the University of Aberdeen was excavating, and I got a tour of the site by Dr. Gordon Noble, who I'm hoping to interview on the podcast

This wonderful art is by

05/11/2023

Correction I state in the interview the book is out November 1st but it is out today!Something a little different from the CHP, an interview with Award winning Playwriter and novelist Amy Crider!Kells is a Novel set in the 8th centaury AD in the heart and height of the Gaelic world, Connachtach, who...

29/10/2023

Out of Curiosity, how many if you purchased Kells? Comment below

20/10/2023

Finally, I cracked it! Finally, I feel like I have a decent enough grasp to talk about the Celtic languages. It's been some of the toughest evidence to work through.

I think I've finally settled on the Late Bronze Age as the origin of the Proto-Celtic dialect from which we get our P Celtic languages.

My main confusion was that based on linguistic and genetic evidence, it made no sense that the Goedillic language arrived in the Iron Age.

The Goedillic language seems to me to be from the immigration of 1300BCE and not the later migration of 850BCE like the Q Celtic languages.

No doubt this will need a full episode!

13/10/2023

Was doing some research for the next episode, and it just struck me just how dense the Hallstatt D Vehicle Burials are around the Henneburg. From my Episode on the Vix you get the impressions it was as dense there but based on what I've found not so!

I'm also gonna talk more about Zavist (Czechia) when we get to Le Téne but they're all the way back to Hallstatt C

01/10/2023

With the next episode focusing on the transition between Hallstatt and La Tène, and our last episode focusing on the part of Eastern France where this object was found, we can look at this artefact dated from 450BCE which is also traditional date for the start of the La Tène period. It also demonstrates the pinnacle of the cultural confluence between Etruscan and Hallstatt Cultures as well as the reach of the trade network that allowed the aspects and materials of this stunning object to come together.

Those who listen to the podcast will be thoroughly familiar with its intended use but the choice of design is very much Mediterranean with the form of the canine as a handle but the style and design of the animal is Central European (Hallstatt) in character)

The coral, enamel and Red Glass inlays itself all over the flagon are a native style of decoration but the materials come from all over the Mediterranean, including; Egypt, and Western Turkey.

At that adorable duck on the spout is apparently an entirely local element which personally is my favourite feature of the flagon.

Shout out to Museum where this stunning object can be seen today

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1929-0511-1

24/09/2023

Looking for anyone with video editing or YouTube experience to reccomend Video Recording/Editing Software

Have loads of ideas and even scripts for longer form Videos and Video Game content to supplement the Podcast and I have budgeted for those that require a subscription but I'm really keen to get started!

20/09/2023

Here is the stunning Gold Torc from the Vix burial, including the Greek inspired Pegasi

18/09/2023

New Episode on the feed! https://rss.com/podcasts/celtichistory/

This week we explore the Western Hallstatt Zone, the Princess of Vix and how a focus on the West leads us to our next Celtic culture La Tene

Map Post forthcoming :)

18/09/2023

Bodies of 7 men and a boy, buried with their horses, near the oppidum of the Arverni tribe at Gondole (Puy-de-Dôme), France.

Anthropological analysis shows evidence of numerous traumatic injuries!

I'll be interested to hear when these are dated!

26/08/2023

The site at Eildon Hill North long predates the Celtic arrival in Britain. The first evidence of inhabitants is from around 2000BCE at the end of the Bell Beaker Era in Britain. The inhabitants would have likely be "Proto-Britons," the pre-Celtic version of the Britons, which are the genetic ancestors of the later Brithonic tribes.

This begs the question? To what extent are Modern "Britons" Celtic? Did they speak a Celtic language before the arrival of La Tene Culture?

It is a confusing morass when you combine it with the genetic evidence which does not support Cunliffes "Celts from the West" theory.

What ever the case thus Site was abandoned around 1000BCE but likely re-occupied by 700BCE die to a large treasure horde found at the base of one of the hills.

09/08/2023

07/04/2023

03/03/2023

Shields! The La Tené Celts were famous for using Oval body Shields, which inspired both the Romans and Greeks, respectively.

However, when it comes to the Hallstatt period, I am at a bit of a loss! There doesn't seem to be any solid evidence I can find of what type of shield was used by the Hallstatt period Celts?

There is Achological evidence of types of Shields used by their Urnfield predessesors, which are mostly buckler-like round Shields. The poorer version being made out of leather and some other types embossed in bronze or brass.

Jump to the La Tené period, and we see the body shield in heavy use.

I personally like to picture these large body shields considering the Gunderlingen sword design would work best with a larger shield on foot and also could be utilised on horseback well with the Mindelheim sword.

However, it could just as easily be the leather bucklers as wood and leather are perishable materials.

Sadly, we may never know, but personally, I prefer to picture the classic Celtic Body Shields emblaze with powerful eagles and boars.

What do you all think? Is their evidence I have missed? 🤔

19/12/2022

Absolutely blown away by the support! We jumped from 7.5 to 9 thousand downloads this month!

We are well on track to reach 10.,000 in the New Year! What an amazing 2022 it has been for the CHP

09/11/2022

Congratulations to you all! EPISODE 1 is now passed 2000 downloads!

I'm so grateful to you all! https://rss.com/podcasts/celtichistory/321250/

06/10/2022

Episode 6 is out! This time we catch up with what's been going on in the world as the Hallstatt Celts develop!

We have Ancient Egyptians, Viking-like Sea raiders, Phoenician pioneers, Iron Age tower dwellers and of course the tutors of the Romans! The great Etruscans!

All the people play a role in how the Mediterranean world changed in a way which birthed the heights of Hallstatt civilisation

30/09/2022

New Episode on the Patreon feed! This time we are discussing the world around the Hallstatt Celts to put them in their proper context. We start with the great bronze age empires of the near east and finish off the early iron age in the western Mediterranean

https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-6-72673291/edit

Episode 6 will be on the regular feed next Friday

16/08/2022

Recently been pondering the idea of how to explain cultural Osmosis, it seems the Celtic phenomenon is more of a constantly changing organism than integrates the local cultures is encounters! You can imagine why its impossible to decipher based in the fringes!

14/06/2022

After an un-announced couple of months off due to family priorities I am back at it. I intend to release the next episode only once all my episodes on Hallstatt are complete to try introduce some regularity. Consider the short introduction season of 4 episodes and one preview to be done, from now on its all Celts all the time!

P.S. While I have been absent I have had another 1000 downloads so thank you all so much :)

23/04/2022

OK so I was too slow to announce 1000 downloads haha 😄 but.. we are now at 1100 downloads!!!

08/04/2022

https://dandavisauthor.com/bronze-age-warfare-the-battle-of-tollense-valley/

https://youtu.be/xZ3qA-cqq5s

Check out this awesome content on the battle of the Tollense Valley! An important turning point featured in today's episode.

In about 1300 BC in the sodden marshland of the Tollense Valley in northern Germany, 5,000 warriors assembled in two great armies. All were men aged between 20 and 40. Many were veterans of other r…

08/04/2022

Some visual references for today's new Episode "War and Treasure"

Below are some of the characteristic finds from "Post-Beaker" culture which is the main focus of today's episode, including the famous Nebra Sky Disk!