Major phases of Celtic culture Flashcards
what are 3 phases?
Urnfield Culture (c. 1250-750BC)
- Hallstatt Culture (c. 700-500BC)
- La Tene Culture (c.500-100BC)
Which culture was ‘proto-celtic’?
Urnfield Culture as archaeologists believe that these ppl may been original celts (began to emerge as own distinct culture)
what occurred during the Urnfield period?
- massive increase in population
- tech and agricultural development
- migration = culture spread
aspects of Urnfield culture:
- CREMATED their dead, placed remains in pottery urns (where name came from) buried in communal plots of land
- BRONZE weapons, tools and eating and cooking vessels
- AGRICULTURAL people
- CO- EXISTED with ppl of Hallstatt culture (adapted) until Hallstatt became dominant
Where is Hallstatt?
site in Austria where 1000 Celtic graves from 700BC were found.
(Shift in culture - bury body differently )
Hallstatt - iron?
Iron (Stronger for weapons - iron age)working led to develop. of this culture from Urnfield.
Hallstatt includes many different unrelated regional groups, who used same set of MATERIAL CULTURE because of strong network of trade and exchange.
Hallstatt graves?
- Everyday objects such as pots and weapons
- some horse fittings and harnesses, funery chariots, decorative ornaments of gold and bronze
- first ppl north of Alps to use iron tech. (maybe why adapted to culture -> advanced )
Hallstatt decorative style?
themes from nature (figure of birds and animals), distinct to them Geometric shapes (square, zig zags, concentric circles
Hallstatt economy
- based on variety of activities
mixed farming, mining of metals (iron copper), mining of minerals (salts) - Extensive trade throughout Europe
Hallstatt expansion?
by 6th century BC, ppl of Hallstatt culture had moved from Austria and Switzerland to France, Netherlands, Belgium, northern Spain and Britain. (Trade, migration, word of mouth, invasion/settlement)
Hallstatt society:
- until about 8th century, lived in farms and villages
- between 800-600BC, fortified hilltops/hillforts settlements became common for protection, found throughout Europe
Hueneburg Hillfort:
- one of he most important Celtic centres during this period
- located in modern Germany
- Apart from fortified citadel, there are extensive remains of settlement and burial areas.
- spanning several centuries
- occupied form Bronze Age to Middle Ages (thousand of years-> important place/strategic location?)
La Tene Culture origin?
- discovered in 1857 at La Tene, Switzerland (hoard of weapons)
- began in 500BC.
La Tene style:
- items had very distinct style of adornment quite different to Hallstatt culture (USE OF SPIRALS, WHORLS, AND SWIRLS)
- more sites found along valleys of Rhine and Marne Rivers containing objects with similar patterns.
- this style of decoration found on drinking vessels, cauldrons, chariots etc found in sites as far as France, northern Italy, Germany, Denmark, Britain, Hungary and the Balkans (Spread, trade, valuable in European culture)
Why was there a shift in culture in La Tene?
influence by Mediterranean culture on Celtic art during this period
