Pagan Celtic Ireland

By Barry Raftery

Book Overview

Using the latest archaeological information, this book presents an up-to-date account of Ireland in the millennium before the coming of Christianity. New findings indicate that the construction of the country's great royal centres, such as Tara and Emain Macha, coincides with the first appearance in Ireland of the material culture of the European Celts. Raftery argues that these La Tene artefacts were the portable trappings of a rising aristocratic elite, which expressed its power by building highly visible monuments. He also discusses the advances that took place in travel and transport; the lives of common Celtic people; technology and art, including gold and stoneworking; and the complex religious beliefs exemplified by standing stones and offerings in rivers and lakes. Also included is the latest material concerning Ireland's contacts with the Roman world, and a review of the question whether La Tene culture spread to Ireland through invasion or peaceful diffusion.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0500279837
• ISBN13: 9780500279830
• Release Date: December 1994
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.9" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

Worth it.

A wonderful, informative book with great illustrations. Well researched and fun to read. A must for every Celtophile,

Excellent source on Iron Age Ireland

In this book the author, who is head of archeology at University College Dublin, gives us a great insight into the current research on this period in Ireland. There is so much pseudo-history and myth that gets repeated over and over again that this book offers a rare insight into what Irish scholars actually know about Celtic Ireland. It deals quite effectively with the issue of the mythological "Celtic" invasion of people and explains the circumstances surrounding the arrival or development of the Celtic culture in Ireland. It is written from an archaeological point of view but should also be of interest to general readers. I highly recommend it as a source for scholars of this period and readers who want to know more about the Iron Age in Ireland.

An important and timely work

This book is extremely useful in that it is the only complete synthesis of the Irish Iron Age archaeology. It is also simple to read and illustrates to the layman the differences between Ireland and Europe during the time of the Celts. However, many people are misled by the mystical title - this is a purely archaeological book!