Contenidos: I. Who Were the Celts?

The Celts in Myth and Reality

An Outline History of the Celts

Discovering the Celts: Hallstatt and La Tène

Timeline Map of the Celtic World

II. The Earliest Celts

The Hallstatt Culture: Hillforts and Barrows

The Hochdorf Chieftain

Centres of Power: The Heuneburg

Upheaval and Migration, 500‑400 BC

III. The Celtic Lands

Gauls in Italy

The Alps, South Germany and Bohemia

The Danube Lands and the Attack on Greece

The Galatians in Asia

Spain and Portugal: The Celtiberians

Gaul, 400‑100 BC

Iron Age Britain

Early Ireland, 600‑1 BC

IV. The Patterns of Life

The Shape of Society

Celtic Husbandry

Farms and Villages

Hillforts, Brochs and Major Settlements

People, Population and Disease

Celtic Men

Celtic Women

Feasting and Fighting: How Society Functioned

V. The Celts at War

The Spectrum of Violence

The Technology of War: Weapons and Armour

Chariots and Cavalry

The Celts on Campaign

War with the Greeks and Romans

The Battle of Telamon, 225 BC

VI. Gods and the Afterlife

The Celtic Gods

Druids, Priests and Seers

Holy Places and Sacrifice

Lindow Man: Dead Men Do Tell Tales

The Testimony of the Grave

The Cemeteries of East Yorkshire

Celtic Cremation Rites

VII. La Tène Art and Technology

The Origins of La Tène Art

Celtic Art Styles

Technologies of Fire: Metal, Glass and Pottery

Crafts: Working in Wood

What Was La Tène Art for?

VIII. The Celts and the Classical World

The Changing World of Late Iron Age Gaul

Roman Conquest: Italy, Iberia and Galatia

Julius Caesar and the Conquest of Gaul

The Revolt of Vercingetorix

Britain from Caesar to Hadrian

Why not Scotland or Ireland?

The Romanization of Gaul and Britain

Boudica’s Revolt

Gauls in Togas

Romano‑Celtic Religion in Britain and Gaul

The Countryside: Continuity, Change and Conflict

Civil War and Crisis in the Empire

The Golden Age of Roman Britain

The Fall of Roman Gaul and Britain

IX. The Celts of Ireland

Ireland in the Roman Iron Age, AD 1–400

Forts, Farms and Royal Residences

Myths and Legends of Ireland

From St. Patrick to the Vikings

X. The Celtic Renaissance

The Welsh and the English

King Arthur: Fact and Fiction

The Picts and the Scots

Scholars and Saints, Missionaries and Manuscripts

XI. To Modern Times

Celts in Medieval and Early Modern Europe

To the Ends of the Earth: The New Migrations

The Celts Today

Supplementary Sections

Glossary

Gazetteer

Further Reading

Acknowledgments

Index

Exploring the World of the Celts is a richly illustrated and accessible introduction to Celtic history, culture, and art, written by archaeologist Simon James. The book offers a broad view of the Celtic peoples—from their mysterious prehistoric origins in Europe to their influence in modern times.

James examines Celtic society through archaeological discoveries, classical accounts, and visual art, offering insight into how the Celts lived, fought, feasted, worshipped, and governed. It also explores how their culture evolved under Roman rule and how it persisted in Ireland into the early Christian era and beyond.

Ideal for general readers and students, it balances historical depth with visual storytelling through maps, timelines, artifacts, and reconstructions.