Pre-Celtic

Pre-Celtic

The term pre-Celtic refers to the period in the prehistory of Central and Western Europe postdating the emergence of Proto-Celtic and predating the expansion of the Celts in the course of the earlier Iron Age (9th to 6th centuries BC). The area involved is that of the maximum extent of Celtic languages in about the mid first century BC.

Languages

For continental Europe, pre-Celtic languages of the European Bronze Age may be taken to include other Indo-European dialects (Illyrian, possibly Lusitanian, the hypothetical Proto-Italo-Celtic dialects, "Old European") on one hand, and non-Indo-European and pre-Indo-European languages (Rhaetic, Etruscan, Basque/Vasconic) on the other. However, proponents of the Paleolithic Continuity Theory see Western Europe as being Proto-Indo-European language speaking from the arrival of modern man in about 60,000 BC.

Recent work by Gray and Atkinson suggests that a Proto-Celtic language branched from the Indo-European tree around 6000 years ago.

Archaeology

In both continental Europe and the British Isles, the pre-Celtic populations are likely to have been the originators of the megalith cultures (the Atlantic Bronze Age). In the later Celtic areas there are many archaeological cultures.

History

When the Celts are first recorded about 600 BC they are already widespread across Iberia, Gaul and Central Europe. Various associations with archaeological cultures have been assumed but without much justification. The homeland of the Celts is very controversial.

In Ireland the Book of Invasions gives a pseudo-history for a number of incoming peoples. However, this does not seem to be compatible with the genetics, see for example Oppenheimer's "Blood of the British".

Genetics

Studies of the DNA in populations across Europe suggest that overall some 80% of the population has been in place since palaeolithic times and only a small proportion came into (mainly) south eastern Europe in the later periods. Thus during Pre-Celtic times the population seems to have been fairly stable.

References

*Waddell, J., "The Celticization of the West: an Irish Perspective", in C. Chevillot and A. Coffyn (eds), L' Age du Bronze Atlantique. Actes du 1er Colloque de Beynac, Beynac (1991), 349-366.
*Waddell, J.,"The Question of the Celticization of Ireland", Emania No. 9 (1991), 5-16.
*Waddell, J., 'Celts, Celticisation and the Irish Bronze Age', in J. Waddell and E. Shee Twohig (eds.), "Ireland in the Bronze Age". Proceedings of the Dublin Conference, April 1995, 158-169.

ee also

*Pre-Indo-European
*Bronze Age Europe
*Old European hydronymy
*Pre-Germanic
*Vasconic languages
*Atlantic (semitic) languages
*Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula
*Prehistoric Britain
*Bronze Age Britain
*Prehistoric Ireland
*Paleolithic Continuity Theory
*Italo-Celtic


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • pre-Celtic — pre Celt′ic adj …   From formal English to slang

  • pre-Celtic — adj. * * * …   Universalium

  • pre-Celtic — adj …   Useful english dictionary

  • Celtic art — is art associated with various people known as Celts; those who spoke the Celtic languages in Europe from pre history through to the modern period, as well as the art of ancient people whose language is unknown, but where cultural and stylistic… …   Wikipedia

  • Pre-Indo-European — may refer to various languages or linguistic hypotheses depending on the context: *pre Proto Indo European: for internal reconstruction aiming at the recovery of a stage earlier than the Proto Indo European language *Old European culture: for pre …   Wikipedia

  • Celtic polytheism — Series on Celtic mythology Celtic polytheism Celtic deities (list) Gaelic mythology I …   Wikipedia

  • Celtic religion — Beliefs and practices of the ancient Celts of Gaul and the British Isles. Celtic worship centred on the interplay of the divine element with the natural world. Springs, rivers, and hills were thought to be inhabited by guardian spirits, usually… …   Universalium

  • Celtic languages — Infobox Language family name = Celtic region = Formerly widespread in Europe; today British Isles, Brittany, Patagonia and Nova Scotia familycolor = Indo European fam1 = Indo European child1 = Continental Celtic child2 = Insular Celtic… …   Wikipedia

  • Celtic calendar — The term Celtic calendar is used to refer to a variety of calendars used by Celtic speaking peoples at different times in history.Continental Celtic CalendarThe Gaulish Coligny calendar is possibly the oldest Celtic solar/lunar ritual calendar.… …   Wikipedia

  • Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism — (CR) is a polytheistic, animistic, religious and cultural movement. It is an effort to reconstruct and revive, in a modern Celtic cultural context, pre Christian Celtic religions. Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism originated in discussions among… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”