with over 300 illustrations, 59 in color

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

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.