Barry Cunliffe's The Celts, 22 Jul 2008
Barry Cunliffe was Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford from 1972 until he retired recently. He has spent at least thirty years conducting excavations at numerous Iron Age sites throughout Europe, especially in England and Brittany.

In this book he collects his decades worth of research about the Celts, in order to explain these mysterious peoples to the layperson. I have read several books about the Celts, and I found this book both refreshing and thought provoking. All too often, nationalists and others hijack Celtic scholarship with their own agendas, leading to all sorts of confusion. It is worth noting that the word 'Celt' itself has been a subject of controversy for many years, with scholars such as Dr. Simon James and Dr. John Collis wanting to do away with the term altogether - or at the very least to limit its use.
At the heart of this matter is a confusion about identity. James and Collis stress the diversity of the Iron Age peoples, and they argue that it is misleading to push a single homogeneous identity on a varied group of peoples. With this in mind, make sure that this book is not the only work you read on the Celts, as there are different perspectives on the matter.

Cunliffe tends to take a rather neutral approach to the Celts. He argues against those old fashioned statements about waves of Celtic invasion that Victorian archaeologists stressed. Then again, unlike Collis and James, he doesn't want to do away with the term Celt just yet. He notes that many archaeologists avoid the historical record and rely entirely on archaeology. He points out that this is not a wise choice, as it is the historical record, even if it is biased, that gives us the flesh on the bones of archaeology. A good archaeologist should be willing to approach the historical record and analyse it critically rather than avoid the ancient accounts altogether.

With these ideas in mind, Cunliffe discusses the Celts. He traces their origins at Hallstatt in 1300 BC, as well as the growth of these powerful Hallstatt kingdoms and their connections with the Mediterranean and Aegean Worlds. At the centre of this book is the idea that Celtic culture was shaped by trade and the spread of ideas though trade routes among diverse groups of people. Various technologies and language dialects, as well as styles of art were spread through different 'zones' in Europe, based on rivers and seaways. Trade was central to the spread of Celtic language and culture in Western Europe and not migration, invasion and conquest as originally believed. These ideas are covered in the early chapters, and they tend to be rather complex, with ideas, tribal names and locations coming thick and fast, which means you'll constantly flicking to the maps at the back of the book to understand what Cunliffe's talking about.

That said, the Celts certainly did invade and conquer. Cunliffe discusses Celtic migrations to Eastern Europe, through Greece to Anatolia, as well as the settlements in northern Italy. Here he discusses the Roman's conquest of Cisalpine Gaul, Brennus and his sacking of Delphi, as well as Galatian mercenaries in Seleucid and Egyptian employ.

Cunliffe discusses other aspects of Celtic life; from religion and deities; to warfare and warriors; and Celtic Art and Technology. He also takes an individual look at Celtic settlements in Iberia, Eastern Europe, the 'Atlantic facade', and the highly developed Celtic lands in Gaul. The book ends with the collapse of Celtic culture at the hands of the Romans, and the survival of Celtic languages through the Dark Ages.

Barry Cunliffe is a brilliant scholar and a good writer, although I found that sometimes he repeated himself (especially when discussing the Galatians) and early sections of the book were rather dry, although it got better as the book progressed. I enjoyed this book as it gave me an interesting new perspective on an old subject. It might be difficult to get into at first, but if you stick with it you will be awarded. Just make sure you supplement the reading of this book with other titles on the Celts, as this book is by no means the only perspective on the subject.

Note: Contains maps, diagrams, charts, chronological timelines, and hundreds of photographs (in black and white and colour).


The treasures of a lost society, 09 Jan 2005
An informative and comprehensive overview of the history of Celtic Eurasia. Cunliffe's status as a leading scholar in this field is well deserved. This volume exhibits the result of many years of work. The wealth and breadth, in both time and space, of the material preclude Cunliffe engaging in flowery rhetoric or idle speculations. Using archaeology as the basis for his presentation, he provides both textual and graphic information. The result is a thorough examination of the development and movements of the Celtic peoples. Their impact on the geopolitics of Europe is great, he reminds us. Place names, artistic styles, and numerous practical elements, many of which have been downplayed or ignored during the Christian centuries, remain as a legacy of their presence and influence.

Given the paucity of Celtic written records, Cunliffe begins with a early archaeological efforts and snippets of Greco-Roman observations. What the Celts thought of themselves must remain a mystery. Those observing them found a warrior society, highly sophisticated in that realm from both aggressive and defensive standpoints. Highly mobile, the Celts established societies from Western Asia to the British Isles. In their settlements, which became increasingly organized and administered over the centuries, they laid the foundations of many modern communities. Cunliffe's accounts of these settlements, particularly those in the Iberian peninsula is likely to offer fresh information for many students.

Cunliffe gives us overviews of the "barbarian" migrations and their impact on European society. The most important result of Celtic movements, of course, was the counter expansion of Rome. Celtic domination of the trans-Alpine region drew Rome into Europe proper. Rome's choice of land routes for armies instead of sea routes for trade meant occupation or dominance of Celtic holdings. These counterforces had far-reaching results in all areas of European life. Even religion, which was normally viewed tolerantly by Rome, came under assault when the Celtic Druids became the force organizing resistance to Roman rule. Cunliffe traces these interactions with a scholar's precision, relating it all in a crisp narration.

The author's long career in this field has provided him with a storehouse of resources. Aside from the fine bibliographic essay, he enhances the main text with excellent maps, illustrations and photographs, many in colour. These cultural images impart a graphic sense of how misleading the term "barbarian" is applied to these people. Their rich heritage, eroded by Rome and virtually eliminated by Christianity is revived by Cunliffe's superb recounting of their world. This book is valuable at many levels and well worth the investment. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A passable account, but definitely not the best, 19 Nov 2001
Cunliffe's 'The Ancient Celts' is better than many things that are written about the Celts, but then that's not very hard. This book is fine as an introduction for someone that's never read anything about the Celts before, but it should also not be the only thing that one reads about them.

For a much, much better overview try John Collis' 'The European Iron Age.' It's a far more informative account and it focuses on the archaeological evidence in a reasoned, scientific manner. It has fewer glossy pictures and is more technical, but it is also very rewarding.

Probably the best book of the celts this century assembled, 09 Oct 2001
This book has been one of the most inspiring books that i have ever read. It gives us very detailed information on how the celts lived and how they came about. It gives us a great insight into how the celts lived, it describes the social, political and religious way of life that the celts had. It shows us where the celts originated from and gives us a great overview of the way of the celts. When reading this we get a great sense of what the celts were about. It describes in great detail the way of life and the customs that the celts had. It shows great emphasises on where the celts travelled to and where their place of origin was.

Barry Cunliffe's The Celts, 22 Jul 2008
Barry Cunliffe was Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford from 1972 until he retired recently. He has spent at least thirty years conducting excavations at numerous Iron Age sites throughout Europe, especially in England and Brittany.

In this book he collects his decades worth of research about the Celts, in order to explain these mysterious peoples to the layperson. I have read several books about the Celts, and I found this book both refreshing and thought provoking. All too often, nationalists and others hijack Celtic scholarship with their own agendas, leading to all sorts of confusion. It is worth noting that the word 'Celt' itself has been a subject of controversy for many years, with scholars such as Dr. Simon James and Dr. John Collis wanting to do away with the term altogether - or at the very least to limit its use.
At the heart of this matter is a confusion about identity. James and Collis stress the diversity of the Iron Age peoples, and they argue that it is misleading to push a single homogeneous identity on a varied group of peoples. With this in mind, make sure that this book is not the only work you read on the Celts, as there are different perspectives on the matter.

Cunliffe tends to take a rather neutral approach to the Celts. He argues against those old fashioned statements about waves of Celtic invasion that Victorian archaeologists stressed. Then again, unlike Collis and James, he doesn't want to do away with the term Celt just yet. He notes that many archaeologists avoid the historical record and rely entirely on archaeology. He points out that this is not a wise choice, as it is the historical record, even if it is biased, that gives us the flesh on the bones of archaeology. A good archaeologist should be willing to approach the historical record and analyse it critically rather than avoid the ancient accounts altogether.

With these ideas in mind, Cunliffe discusses the Celts. He traces their origins at Hallstatt in 1300 BC, as well as the growth of these powerful Hallstatt kingdoms and their connections with the Mediterranean and Aegean Worlds. At the centre of this book is the idea that Celtic culture was shaped by trade and the spread of ideas though trade routes among diverse groups of people. Various technologies and language dialects, as well as styles of art were spread through different 'zones' in Europe, based on rivers and seaways. Trade was central to the spread of Celtic language and culture in Western Europe and not migration, invasion and conquest as originally believed. These ideas are covered in the early chapters, and they tend to be rather complex, with ideas, tribal names and locations coming thick and fast, which means you'll constantly flicking to the maps at the back of the book to understand what Cunliffe's talking about.

That said, the Celts certainly did invade and conquer. Cunliffe discusses Celtic migrations to Eastern Europe, through Greece to Anatolia, as well as the settlements in northern Italy. Here he discusses the Roman's conquest of Cisalpine Gaul, Brennus and his sacking of Delphi, as well as Galatian mercenaries in Seleucid and Egyptian employ.

Cunliffe discusses other aspects of Celtic life; from religion and deities; to warfare and warriors; and Celtic Art and Technology. He also takes an individual look at Celtic settlements in Iberia, Eastern Europe, the 'Atlantic facade', and the highly developed Celtic lands in Gaul. The book ends with the collapse of Celtic culture at the hands of the Romans, and the survival of Celtic languages through the Dark Ages.

Barry Cunliffe is a brilliant scholar and a good writer, although I found that sometimes he repeated himself (especially when discussing the Galatians) and early sections of the book were rather dry, although it got better as the book progressed. I enjoyed this book as it gave me an interesting new perspective on an old subject. It might be difficult to get into at first, but if you stick with it you will be awarded. Just make sure you supplement the reading of this book with other titles on the Celts, as this book is by no means the only perspective on the subject.

Note: Contains maps, diagrams, charts, chronological timelines, and hundreds of photographs (in black and white and colour).


The treasures of a lost society, 09 Jan 2005
An informative and comprehensive overview of the history of Celtic Eurasia. Cunliffe's status as a leading scholar in this field is well deserved. This volume exhibits the result of many years of work. The wealth and breadth, in both time and space, of the material preclude Cunliffe engaging in flowery rhetoric or idle speculations. Using archaeology as the basis for his presentation, he provides both textual and graphic information. The result is a thorough examination of the development and movements of the Celtic peoples. Their impact on the geopolitics of Europe is great, he reminds us. Place names, artistic styles, and numerous practical elements, many of which have been downplayed or ignored during the Christian centuries, remain as a legacy of their presence and influence.

Given the paucity of Celtic written records, Cunliffe begins with a early archaeological efforts and snippets of Greco-Roman observations. What the Celts thought of themselves must remain a mystery. Those observing them found a warrior society, highly sophisticated in that realm from both aggressive and defensive standpoints. Highly mobile, the Celts established societies from Western Asia to the British Isles. In their settlements, which became increasingly organized and administered over the centuries, they laid the foundations of many modern communities. Cunliffe's accounts of these settlements, particularly those in the Iberian peninsula is likely to offer fresh information for many students.

Cunliffe gives us overviews of the "barbarian" migrations and their impact on European society. The most important result of Celtic movements, of course, was the counter expansion of Rome. Celtic domination of the trans-Alpine region drew Rome into Europe proper. Rome's choice of land routes for armies instead of sea routes for trade meant occupation or dominance of Celtic holdings. These counterforces had far-reaching results in all areas of European life. Even religion, which was normally viewed tolerantly by Rome, came under assault when the Celtic Druids became the force organizing resistance to Roman rule. Cunliffe traces these interactions with a scholar's precision, relating it all in a crisp narration.

The author's long career in this field has provided him with a storehouse of resources. Aside from the fine bibliographic essay, he enhances the main text with excellent maps, illustrations and photographs, many in colour. These cultural images impart a graphic sense of how misleading the term "barbarian" is applied to these people. Their rich heritage, eroded by Rome and virtually eliminated by Christianity is revived by Cunliffe's superb recounting of their world. This book is valuable at many levels and well worth the investment. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A passable account, but definitely not the best, 19 Nov 2001
Cunliffe's 'The Ancient Celts' is better than many things that are written about the Celts, but then that's not very hard. This book is fine as an introduction for someone that's never read anything about the Celts before, but it should also not be the only thing that one reads about them.

For a much, much better overview try John Collis' 'The European Iron Age.' It's a far more informative account and it focuses on the archaeological evidence in a reasoned, scientific manner. It has fewer glossy pictures and is more technical, but it is also very rewarding.

Probably the best book of the celts this century assembled, 09 Oct 2001
This book has been one of the most inspiring books that i have ever read. It gives us very detailed information on how the celts lived and how they came about. It gives us a great insight into how the celts lived, it describes the social, political and religious way of life that the celts had. It shows us where the celts originated from and gives us a great overview of the way of the celts. When reading this we get a great sense of what the celts were about. It describes in great detail the way of life and the customs that the celts had. It shows great emphasises on where the celts travelled to and where their place of origin was.

A Must for Your Suitcase, 04 Apr 2006
If you really want to know what you're looking at when you visit Rome, this book is a must for your suitcase! It is brisk, erudite, academic but highly accessible and fascinating. The layout is useful, too, with introductions relating to the building materials and general history. I was given it for Christmas so had plenty of time to read it before we went to Rome in March for a wonderful six days. It hugely contributed to my enjoyment of this fantastic city, where there is little interpretation of the archaeology on the ground, as it were, with a complete lack of signs, identification and interpretation. You still need a tourist guide book to get you to the sites, though, as there is no overall map of the city in the book, guiding you to where stuff is on the ground now and how to find it. Thanks to this book, we visited sites off the beaten track and got far more out of our visit than we might have done.

A. Claridge finishes where T. Ashby left off !, 28 Nov 1998
Ms. Claridge is the lastest and the newest in the field of archaeology in Rome. Not since the work of the late Prof. Thomas Ashby on ancient Rome has English language readers been able to follow the course of archaeological work particularly in the historic center of ancient Rome. The book is particularly useful for anyone interested in the recent excavations in Rome during the 1980's and early 1990's. The Topographical illustrations of the excavations in the Roman Forum is especially interesting because much of the professional publications on these area's of research is yet to be published, in Particular Prof. A. Carandini's excavation at the north/east foot of the Palatine hill(1985-1990), also in the Forum of Nerva in the Imperial forum area. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the city of ancient Rome, and archaeology in Rome during the past two-decades.

Barry Cunliffe's The Celts, 22 Jul 2008
Barry Cunliffe was Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford from 1972 until he retired recently. He has spent at least thirty years conducting excavations at numerous Iron Age sites throughout Europe, especially in England and Brittany.

In this book he collects his decades worth of research about the Celts, in order to explain these mysterious peoples to the layperson. I have read several books about the Celts, and I found this book both refreshing and thought provoking. All too often, nationalists and others hijack Celtic scholarship with their own agendas, leading to all sorts of confusion. It is worth noting that the word 'Celt' itself has been a subject of controversy for many years, with scholars such as Dr. Simon James and Dr. John Collis wanting to do away with the term altogether - or at the very least to limit its use.
At the heart of this matter is a confusion about identity. James and Collis stress the diversity of the Iron Age peoples, and they argue that it is misleading to push a single homogeneous identity on a varied group of peoples. With this in mind, make sure that this book is not the only work you read on the Celts, as there are different perspectives on the matter.

Cunliffe tends to take a rather neutral approach to the Celts. He argues against those old fashioned statements about waves of Celtic invasion that Victorian archaeologists stressed. Then again, unlike Collis and James, he doesn't want to do away with the term Celt just yet. He notes that many archaeologists avoid the historical record and rely entirely on archaeology. He points out that this is not a wise choice, as it is the historical record, even if it is biased, that gives us the flesh on the bones of archaeology. A good archaeologist should be willing to approach the historical record and analyse it critically rather than avoid the ancient accounts altogether.

With these ideas in mind, Cunliffe discusses the Celts. He traces their origins at Hallstatt in 1300 BC, as well as the growth of these powerful Hallstatt kingdoms and their connections with the Mediterranean and Aegean Worlds. At the centre of this book is the idea that Celtic culture was shaped by trade and the spread of ideas though trade routes among diverse groups of people. Various technologies and language dialects, as well as styles of art were spread through different 'zones' in Europe, based on rivers and seaways. Trade was central to the spread of Celtic language and culture in Western Europe and not migration, invasion and conquest as originally believed. These ideas are covered in the early chapters, and they tend to be rather complex, with ideas, tribal names and locations coming thick and fast, which means you'll constantly flicking to the maps at the back of the book to understand what Cunliffe's talking about.

That said, the Celts certainly did invade and conquer. Cunliffe discusses Celtic migrations to Eastern Europe, through Greece to Anatolia, as well as the settlements in northern Italy. Here he discusses the Roman's conquest of Cisalpine Gaul, Brennus and his sacking of Delphi, as well as Galatian mercenaries in Seleucid and Egyptian employ.

Cunliffe discusses other aspects of Celtic life; from religion and deities; to warfare and warriors; and Celtic Art and Technology. He also takes an individual look at Celtic settlements in Iberia, Eastern Europe, the 'Atlantic facade', and the highly developed Celtic lands in Gaul. The book ends with the collapse of Celtic culture at the hands of the Romans, and the survival of Celtic languages through the Dark Ages.

Barry Cunliffe is a brilliant scholar and a good writer, although I found that sometimes he repeated himself (especially when discussing the Galatians) and early sections of the book were rather dry, although it got better as the book progressed. I enjoyed this book as it gave me an interesting new perspective on an old subject. It might be difficult to get into at first, but if you stick with it you will be awarded. Just make sure you supplement the reading of this book with other titles on the Celts, as this book is by no means the only perspective on the subject.

Note: Contains maps, diagrams, charts, chronological timelines, and hundreds of photographs (in black and white and colour).


The treasures of a lost society, 09 Jan 2005
An informative and comprehensive overview of the history of Celtic Eurasia. Cunliffe's status as a leading scholar in this field is well deserved. This volume exhibits the result of many years of work. The wealth and breadth, in both time and space, of the material preclude Cunliffe engaging in flowery rhetoric or idle speculations. Using archaeology as the basis for his presentation, he provides both textual and graphic information. The result is a thorough examination of the development and movements of the Celtic peoples. Their impact on the geopolitics of Europe is great, he reminds us. Place names, artistic styles, and numerous practical elements, many of which have been downplayed or ignored during the Christian centuries, remain as a legacy of their presence and influence.

Given the paucity of Celtic written records, Cunliffe begins with a early archaeological efforts and snippets of Greco-Roman observations. What the Celts thought of themselves must remain a mystery. Those observing them found a warrior society, highly sophisticated in that realm from both aggressive and defensive standpoints. Highly mobile, the Celts established societies from Western Asia to the British Isles. In their settlements, which became increasingly organized and administered over the centuries, they laid the foundations of many modern communities. Cunliffe's accounts of these settlements, particularly those in the Iberian peninsula is likely to offer fresh information for many students.

Cunliffe gives us overviews of the "barbarian" migrations and their impact on European society. The most important result of Celtic movements, of course, was the counter expansion of Rome. Celtic domination of the trans-Alpine region drew Rome into Europe proper. Rome's choice of land routes for armies instead of sea routes for trade meant occupation or dominance of Celtic holdings. These counterforces had far-reaching results in all areas of European life. Even religion, which was normally viewed tolerantly by Rome, came under assault when the Celtic Druids became the force organizing resistance to Roman rule. Cunliffe traces these interactions with a scholar's precision, relating it all in a crisp narration.

The author's long career in this field has provided him with a storehouse of resources. Aside from the fine bibliographic essay, he enhances the main text with excellent maps, illustrations and photographs, many in colour. These cultural images impart a graphic sense of how misleading the term "barbarian" is applied to these people. Their rich heritage, eroded by Rome and virtually eliminated by Christianity is revived by Cunliffe's superb recounting of their world. This book is valuable at many levels and well worth the investment. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A passable account, but definitely not the best, 19 Nov 2001
Cunliffe's 'The Ancient Celts' is better than many things that are written about the Celts, but then that's not very hard. This book is fine as an introduction for someone that's never read anything about the Celts before, but it should also not be the only thing that one reads about them.

For a much, much better overview try John Collis' 'The European Iron Age.' It's a far more informative account and it focuses on the archaeological evidence in a reasoned, scientific manner. It has fewer glossy pictures and is more technical, but it is also very rewarding.

Probably the best book of the celts this century assembled, 09 Oct 2001
This book has been one of the most inspiring books that i have ever read. It gives us very detailed information on how the celts lived and how they came about. It gives us a great insight into how the celts lived, it describes the social, political and religious way of life that the celts had. It shows us where the celts originated from and gives us a great overview of the way of the celts. When reading this we get a great sense of what the celts were about. It describes in great detail the way of life and the customs that the celts had. It shows great emphasises on where the celts travelled to and where their place of origin was.

A Must for Your Suitcase, 04 Apr 2006
If you really want to know what you're looking at when you visit Rome, this book is a must for your suitcase! It is brisk, erudite, academic but highly accessible and fascinating. The layout is useful, too, with introductions relating to the building materials and general history. I was given it for Christmas so had plenty of time to read it before we went to Rome in March for a wonderful six days. It hugely contributed to my enjoyment of this fantastic city, where there is little interpretation of the archaeology on the ground, as it were, with a complete lack of signs, identification and interpretation. You still need a tourist guide book to get you to the sites, though, as there is no overall map of the city in the book, guiding you to where stuff is on the ground now and how to find it. Thanks to this book, we visited sites off the beaten track and got far more out of our visit than we might have done.

A. Claridge finishes where T. Ashby left off !, 28 Nov 1998
Ms. Claridge is the lastest and the newest in the field of archaeology in Rome. Not since the work of the late Prof. Thomas Ashby on ancient Rome has English language readers been able to follow the course of archaeological work particularly in the historic center of ancient Rome. The book is particularly useful for anyone interested in the recent excavations in Rome during the 1980's and early 1990's. The Topographical illustrations of the excavations in the Roman Forum is especially interesting because much of the professional publications on these area's of research is yet to be published, in Particular Prof. A. Carandini's excavation at the north/east foot of the Palatine hill(1985-1990), also in the Forum of Nerva in the Imperial forum area. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the city of ancient Rome, and archaeology in Rome during the past two-decades.

Beyond the Old Favourites, 18 Jul 2002
Peter Knight takes the rare step of going beyond the old stand-bys of Stonehenge and Avebury to detail dozens of sites which travellers might pass without a second thought. The coverage of Knowlton, a greatly underestimated site, is excellent and does the old place justice. I'd need a bit of convincing about a couple of the stones which I've seen and appear to be there more by coincidence than anything else, but, on the whole, Knight shows us that we should be happy to live in a county with such a wealth of fine sites. Be afraid of the author's ponderous poetry and stick to the site descriptions for maximum enjoyment.

A thorough and painstaking survey., 23 Sep 1999
Well, I live in Dorset and I didn`t know one tenth of the sites that Peter has catalogued in this fascinating labour of love. Designed as a book to be used `in the field`, Ancient Stones Of Dorset covers its subject in painstaking detail from obvious sites such as The Nine Stones near Dorchester, to old reports of stones now long vanished. With much folklore included, and many a ley line, this is a Neolithic winner!

comprehensive cover of standing stones and sites in Dorset, 07 Nov 1998
Peter Knight's style at times ventures on the 'alternative evangelical', nevertheless the author has come up with a very comprehensive description of standing stones and sites in Dorset, interspersed with extra snippets of historical information, and many details of ley lines, plans and sketches.

Barry Cunliffe's The Celts, 22 Jul 2008
Barry Cunliffe was Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford from 1972 until he retired recently. He has spent at least thirty years conducting excavations at numerous Iron Age sites throughout Europe, especially in England and Brittany.

In this book he collects his decades worth of research about the Celts, in order to explain these mysterious peoples to the layperson. I have read several books about the Celts, and I found this book both refreshing and thought provoking. All too often, nationalists and others hijack Celtic scholarship with their own agendas, leading to all sorts of confusion. It is worth noting that the word 'Celt' itself has been a subject of controversy for many years, with scholars such as Dr. Simon James and Dr. John Collis wanting to do away with the term altogether - or at the very least to limit its use.
At the heart of this matter is a confusion about identity. James and Collis stress the diversity of the Iron Age peoples, and they argue that it is misleading to push a single homogeneous identity on a varied group of peoples. With this in mind, make sure that this book is not the only work you read on the Celts, as there are different perspectives on the matter.

Cunliffe tends to take a rather neutral approach to the Celts. He argues against those old fashioned statements about waves of Celtic invasion that Victorian archaeologists stressed. Then again, unlike Collis and James, he doesn't want to do away with the term Celt just yet. He notes that many archaeologists avoid the historical record and rely entirely on archaeology. He points out that this is not a wise choice, as it is the historical record, even if it is biased, that gives us the flesh on the bones of archaeology. A good archaeologist should be willing to approach the historical record and analyse it critically rather than avoid the ancient accounts altogether.

With these ideas in mind, Cunliffe discusses the Celts. He traces their origins at Hallstatt in 1300 BC, as well as the growth of these powerful Hallstatt kingdoms and their connections with the Mediterranean and Aegean Worlds. At the centre of this book is the idea that Celtic culture was shaped by trade and the spread of ideas though trade routes among diverse groups of people. Various technologies and language dialects, as well as styles of art were spread through different 'zones' in Europe, based on rivers and seaways. Trade was central to the spread of Celtic language and culture in Western Europe and not migration, invasion and conquest as originally believed. These ideas are covered in the early chapters, and they tend to be rather complex, with ideas, tribal names and locations coming thick and fast, which means you'll constantly flicking to the maps at the back of the book to understand what Cunliffe's talking about.

That said, the Celts certainly did invade and conquer. Cunliffe discusses Celtic migrations to Eastern Europe, through Greece to Anatolia, as well as the settlements in northern Italy. Here he discusses the Roman's conquest of Cisalpine Gaul, Brennus and his sacking of Delphi, as well as Galatian mercenaries in Seleucid and Egyptian employ.

Cunliffe discusses other aspects of Celtic life; from religion and deities; to warfare and warriors; and Celtic Art and Technology. He also takes an individual look at Celtic settlements in Iberia, Eastern Europe, the 'Atlantic facade', and the highly developed Celtic lands in Gaul. The book ends with the collapse of Celtic culture at the hands of the Romans, and the survival of Celtic languages through the Dark Ages.

Barry Cunliffe is a brilliant scholar and a good writer, although I found that sometimes he repeated himself (especially when discussing the Galatians) and early sections of the book were rather dry, although it got better as the book progressed. I enjoyed this book as it gave me an interesting new perspective on an old subject. It might be difficult to get into at first, but if you stick with it you will be awarded. Just make sure you supplement the reading of this book with other titles on the Celts, as this book is by no means the only perspective on the subject.

Note: Contains maps, diagrams, charts, chronological timelines, and hundreds of photographs (in black and white and colour).


The treasures of a lost society, 09 Jan 2005
An informative and comprehensive overview of the history of Celtic Eurasia. Cunliffe's status as a leading scholar in this field is well deserved. This volume exhibits the result of many years of work. The wealth and breadth, in both time and space, of the material preclude Cunliffe engaging in flowery rhetoric or idle speculations. Using archaeology as the basis for his presentation, he provides both textual and graphic information. The result is a thorough examination of the development and movements of the Celtic peoples. Their impact on the geopolitics of Europe is great, he reminds us. Place names, artistic styles, and numerous practical elements, many of which have been downplayed or ignored during the Christian centuries, remain as a legacy of their presence and influence.

Given the paucity of Celtic written records, Cunliffe begins with a early archaeological efforts and snippets of Greco-Roman observations. What the Celts thought of themselves must remain a mystery. Those observing them found a warrior society, highly sophisticated in that realm from both aggressive and defensive standpoints. Highly mobile, the Celts established societies from Western Asia to the British Isles. In their settlements, which became increasingly organized and administered over the centuries, they laid the foundations of many modern communities. Cunliffe's accounts of these settlements, particularly those in the Iberian peninsula is likely to offer fresh information for many students.

Cunliffe gives us overviews of the "barbarian" migrations and their impact on European society. The most important result of Celtic movements, of course, was the counter expansion of Rome. Celtic domination of the trans-Alpine region drew Rome into Europe proper. Rome's choice of land routes for armies instead of sea routes for trade meant occupation or dominance of Celtic holdings. These counterforces had far-reaching results in all areas of European life. Even religion, which was normally viewed tolerantly by Rome, came under assault when the Celtic Druids became the force organizing resistance to Roman rule. Cunliffe traces these interactions with a scholar's precision, relating it all in a crisp narration.

The author's long career in this field has provided him with a storehouse of resources. Aside from the fine bibliographic essay, he enhances the main text with excellent maps, illustrations and photographs, many in colour. These cultural images impart a graphic sense of how misleading the term "barbarian" is applied to these people. Their rich heritage, eroded by Rome and virtually eliminated by Christianity is revived by Cunliffe's superb recounting of their world. This book is valuable at many levels and well worth the investment. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A passable account, but definitely not the best, 19 Nov 2001
Cunliffe's 'The Ancient Celts' is better than many things that are written about the Celts, but then that's not very hard. This book is fine as an introduction for someone that's never read anything about the Celts before, but it should also not be the only thing that one reads about them.

For a much, much better overview try John Collis' 'The European Iron Age.' It's a far more informative account and it focuses on the archaeological evidence in a reasoned, scientific manner. It has fewer glossy pictures and is more technical, but it is also very rewarding.

Probably the best book of the celts this century assembled, 09 Oct 2001
This book has been one of the most inspiring books that i have ever read. It gives us very detailed information on how the celts lived and how they came about. It gives us a great insight into how the celts lived, it describes the social, political and religious way of life that the celts had. It shows us where the celts originated from and gives us a great overview of the way of the celts. When reading this we get a great sense of what the celts were about. It describes in great detail the way of life and the customs that the celts had. It shows great emphasises on where the celts travelled to and where their place of origin was.

A Must for Your Suitcase, 04 Apr 2006
If you really want to know what you're looking at when you visit Rome, this book is a must for your suitcase! It is brisk, erudite, academic but highly accessible and fascinating. The layout is useful, too, with introductions relating to the building materials and general history. I was given it for Christmas so had plenty of time to read it before we went to Rome in March for a wonderful six days. It hugely contributed to my enjoyment of this fantastic city, where there is little interpretation of the archaeology on the ground, as it were, with a complete lack of signs, identification and interpretation. You still need a tourist guide book to get you to the sites, though, as there is no overall map of the city in the book, guiding you to where stuff is on the ground now and how to find it. Thanks to this book, we visited sites off the beaten track and got far more out of our visit than we might have done.

A. Claridge finishes where T. Ashby left off !, 28 Nov 1998
Ms. Claridge is the lastest and the newest in the field of archaeology in Rome. Not since the work of the late Prof. Thomas Ashby on ancient Rome has English language readers been able to follow the course of archaeological work particularly in the historic center of ancient Rome. The book is particularly useful for anyone interested in the recent excavations in Rome during the 1980's and early 1990's. The Topographical illustrations of the excavations in the Roman Forum is especially interesting because much of the professional publications on these area's of research is yet to be published, in Particular Prof. A. Carandini's excavation at the north/east foot of the Palatine hill(1985-1990), also in the Forum of Nerva in the Imperial forum area. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the city of ancient Rome, and archaeology in Rome during the past two-decades.

Beyond the Old Favourites, 18 Jul 2002
Peter Knight takes the rare step of going beyond the old stand-bys of Stonehenge and Avebury to detail dozens of sites which travellers might pass without a second thought. The coverage of Knowlton, a greatly underestimated site, is excellent and does the old place justice. I'd need a bit of convincing about a couple of the stones which I've seen and appear to be there more by coincidence than anything else, but, on the whole, Knight shows us that we should be happy to live in a county with such a wealth of fine sites. Be afraid of the author's ponderous poetry and stick to the site descriptions for maximum enjoyment.

A thorough and painstaking survey., 23 Sep 1999
Well, I live in Dorset and I didn`t know one tenth of the sites that Peter has catalogued in this fascinating labour of love. Designed as a book to be used `in the field`, Ancient Stones Of Dorset covers its subject in painstaking detail from obvious sites such as The Nine Stones near Dorchester, to old reports of stones now long vanished. With much folklore included, and many a ley line, this is a Neolithic winner!

comprehensive cover of standing stones and sites in Dorset, 07 Nov 1998
Peter Knight's style at times ventures on the 'alternative evangelical', nevertheless the author has come up with a very comprehensive description of standing stones and sites in Dorset, interspersed with extra snippets of historical information, and many details of ley lines, plans and sketches.

Good for archaeologists or those interested in this period, 11 Apr 2002
This is a specialist book which is a good reference guide, espeically for archaeologists, and those who are interested in this period. Detailed information on a wide variety of artefacts.

Barry Cunliffe's The Celts, 22 Jul 2008
Barry Cunliffe was Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford from 1972 until he retired recently. He has spent at least thirty years conducting excavations at numerous Iron Age sites throughout Europe, especially in England and Brittany.

In this book he collects his decades worth of research about the Celts, in order to explain these mysterious peoples to the layperson. I have read several books about the Celts, and I found this book both refreshing and thought provoking. All too often, nationalists and others hijack Celtic scholarship with their own agendas, leading to all sorts of confusion. It is worth noting that the word 'Celt' itself has been a subject of controversy for many years, with scholars such as Dr. Simon James and Dr. John Collis wanting to do away with the term altogether - or at the very least to limit its use.
At the heart of this matter is a confusion about identity. James and Collis stress the diversity of the Iron Age peoples, and they argue that it is misleading to push a single homogeneous identity on a varied group of peoples. With this in mind, make sure that this book is not the only work you read on the Celts, as there are different perspectives on the matter.

Cunliffe tends to take a rather neutral approach to the Celts. He argues against those old fashioned statements about waves of Celtic invasion that Victorian archaeologists stressed. Then again, unlike Collis and James, he doesn't want to do away with the term Celt just yet. He notes that many archaeologists avoid the historical record and rely entirely on archaeology. He points out that this is not a wise choice, as it is the historical record, even if it is biased, that gives us the flesh on the bones of archaeology. A good archaeologist should be willing to approach the historical record and analyse it critically rather than avoid the ancient accounts altogether.

With these ideas in mind, Cunliffe discusses the Celts. He traces their origins at Hallstatt in 1300 BC, as well as the growth of these powerful Hallstatt kingdoms and their connections with the Mediterranean and Aegean Worlds. At the centre of this book is the idea that Celtic culture was shaped by trade and the spread of ideas though trade routes among diverse groups of people. Various technologies and language dialects, as well as styles of art were spread through different 'zones' in Europe, based on rivers and seaways. Trade was central to the spread of Celtic language and culture in Western Europe and not migration, invasion and conquest as originally believed. These ideas are covered in the early chapters, and they tend to be rather complex, with ideas, tribal names and locations coming thick and fast, which means you'll constantly flicking to the maps at the back of the book to understand what Cunliffe's talking about.

That said, the Celts certainly did invade and conquer. Cunliffe discusses Celtic migrations to Eastern Europe, through Greece to Anatolia, as well as the settlements in northern Italy. Here he discusses the Roman's conquest of Cisalpine Gaul, Brennus and his sacking of Delphi, as well as Galatian mercenaries in Seleucid and Egyptian employ.

Cunliffe discusses other aspects of Celtic life; from religion and deities; to warfare and warriors; and Celtic Art and Technology. He also takes an individual look at Celtic settlements in Iberia, Eastern Europe, the 'Atlantic facade', and the highly developed Celtic lands in Gaul. The book ends with the collapse of Celtic culture at the hands of the Romans, and the survival of Celtic languages through the Dark Ages.

Barry Cunliffe is a brilliant scholar and a good writer, although I found that sometimes he repeated himself (especially when discussing the Galatians) and early sections of the book were rather dry, although it got better as the book progressed. I enjoyed this book as it gave me an interesting new perspective on an old subject. It might be difficult to get into at first, but if you stick with it you will be awarded. Just make sure you supplement the reading of this book with other titles on the Celts, as this book is by no means the only perspective on the subject.

Note: Contains maps, diagrams, charts, chronological timelines, and hundreds of photographs (in black and white and colour).


The treasures of a lost society, 09 Jan 2005
An informative and comprehensive overview of the history of Celtic Eurasia. Cunliffe's status as a leading scholar in this field is well deserved. This volume exhibits the result of many years of work. The wealth and breadth, in both time and space, of the material preclude Cunliffe engaging in flowery rhetoric or idle speculations. Using archaeology as the basis for his presentation, he provides both textual and graphic information. The result is a thorough examination of the development and movements of the Celtic peoples. Their impact on the geopolitics of Europe is great, he reminds us. Place names, artistic styles, and numerous practical elements, many of which have been downplayed or ignored during the Christian centuries, remain as a legacy of their presence and influence.

Given the paucity of Celtic written records, Cunliffe begins with a early archaeological efforts and snippets of Greco-Roman observations. What the Celts thought of themselves must remain a mystery. Those observing them found a warrior society, highly sophisticated in that realm from both aggressive and defensive standpoints. Highly mobile, the Celts established societies from Western Asia to the British Isles. In their settlements, which became increasingly organized and administered over the centuries, they laid the foundations of many modern communities. Cunliffe's accounts of these settlements, particularly those in the Iberian peninsula is likely to offer fresh information for many students.

Cunliffe gives us overviews of the "barbarian" migrations and their impact on European society. The most important result of Celtic movements, of course, was the counter expansion of Rome. Celtic domination of the trans-Alpine region drew Rome into Europe proper. Rome's choice of land routes for armies instead of sea routes for trade meant occupation or dominance of Celtic holdings. These counterforces had far-reaching results in all areas of European life. Even religion, which was normally viewed tolerantly by Rome, came under assault when the Celtic Druids became the force organizing resistance to Roman rule. Cunliffe traces these interactions with a scholar's precision, relating it all in a crisp narration.

The author's long career in this field has provided him with a storehouse of resources. Aside from the fine bibliographic essay, he enhances the main text with excellent maps, illustrations and photographs, many in colour. These cultural images impart a graphic sense of how misleading the term "barbarian" is applied to these people. Their rich heritage, eroded by Rome and virtually eliminated by Christianity is revived by Cunliffe's superb recounting of their world. This book is valuable at many levels and well worth the investment. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A passable account, but definitely not the best, 19 Nov 2001
Cunliffe's 'The Ancient Celts' is better than many things that are written about the Celts, but then that's not very hard. This book is fine as an introduction for someone that's never read anything about the Celts before, but it should also not be the only thing that one reads about them.

For a much, much better overview try John Collis' 'The European Iron Age.' It's a far more informative account and it focuses on the archaeological evidence in a reasoned, scientific manner. It has fewer glossy pictures and is more technical, but it is also very rewarding.

Probably the best book of the celts this century assembled, 09 Oct 2001
This book has been one of the most inspiring books that i have ever read. It gives us very detailed information on how the celts lived and how they came about. It gives us a great insight into how the celts lived, it describes the social, political and religious way of life that the celts had. It shows us where the celts originated from and gives us a great overview of the way of the celts. When reading this we get a great sense of what the celts were about. It describes in great detail the way of life and the customs that the celts had. It shows great emphasises on where the celts travelled to and where their place of origin was.

A Must for Your Suitcase, 04 Apr 2006
If you really want to know what you're looking at when you visit Rome, this book is a must for your suitcase! It is brisk, erudite, academic but highly accessible and fascinating. The layout is useful, too, with introductions relating to the building materials and general history. I was given it for Christmas so had plenty of time to read it before we went to Rome in March for a wonderful six days. It hugely contributed to my enjoyment of this fantastic city, where there is little interpretation of the archaeology on the ground, as it were, with a complete lack of signs, identification and interpretation. You still need a tourist guide book to get you to the sites, though, as there is no overall map of the city in the book, guiding you to where stuff is on the ground now and how to find it. Thanks to this book, we visited sites off the beaten track and got far more out of our visit than we might have done.

A. Claridge finishes where T. Ashby left off !, 28 Nov 1998
Ms. Claridge is the lastest and the newest in the field of archaeology in Rome. Not since the work of the late Prof. Thomas Ashby on ancient Rome has English language readers been able to follow the course of archaeological work particularly in the historic center of ancient Rome. The book is particularly useful for anyone interested in the recent excavations in Rome during the 1980's and early 1990's. The Topographical illustrations of the excavations in the Roman Forum is especially interesting because much of the professional publications on these area's of research is yet to be published, in Particular Prof. A. Carandini's excavation at the north/east foot of the Palatine hill(1985-1990), also in the Forum of Nerva in the Imperial forum area. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the city of ancient Rome, and archaeology in Rome during the past two-decades.

Beyond the Old Favourites, 18 Jul 2002
Peter Knight takes the rare step of going beyond the old stand-bys of Stonehenge and Avebury to detail dozens of sites which travellers might pass without a second thought. The coverage of Knowlton, a greatly underestimated site, is excellent and does the old place justice. I'd need a bit of convincing about a couple of the stones which I've seen and appear to be there more by coincidence than anything else, but, on the whole, Knight shows us that we should be happy to live in a county with such a wealth of fine sites. Be afraid of the author's ponderous poetry and stick to the site descriptions for maximum enjoyment.

A thorough and painstaking survey., 23 Sep 1999
Well, I live in Dorset and I didn`t know one tenth of the sites that Peter has catalogued in this fascinating labour of love. Designed as a book to be used `in the field`, Ancient Stones Of Dorset covers its subject in painstaking detail from obvious sites such as The Nine Stones near Dorchester, to old reports of stones now long vanished. With much folklore included, and many a ley line, this is a Neolithic winner!

comprehensive cover of standing stones and sites in Dorset, 07 Nov 1998
Peter Knight's style at times ventures on the 'alternative evangelical', nevertheless the author has come up with a very comprehensive description of standing stones and sites in Dorset, interspersed with extra snippets of historical information, and many details of ley lines, plans and sketches.

Good for archaeologists or those interested in this period, 11 Apr 2002
This is a specialist book which is a good reference guide, espeically for archaeologists, and those who are interested in this period. Detailed information on a wide variety of artefacts.

ESSENTIAL READING FOR CLASSICS STUDENTS, 22 Apr 2004
Alcock's book is vital reading for any serious student of Classics andancient archaeology. The narrative is erudite but easy to read, and thedividing of the book into 'spaces', (i.e., 'sacred landscape' &c) isuseful. Roman Greece is a much-neglected field, and Alcock's book doesmuch to redress the balance as well as contributing a new angle on thefield in the light of modern, non-invasive archaeological methods.

Barry Cunliffe's The Celts, 22 Jul 2008
Barry Cunliffe was Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford from 1972 until he retired recently. He has spent at least thirty years conducting excavations at numerous Iron Age sites throughout Europe, especially in England and Brittany.

In this book he collects his decades worth of research about the Celts, in order to explain these mysterious peoples to the layperson. I have read several books about the Celts, and I found this book both refreshing and thought provoking. All too often, nationalists and others hijack Celtic scholarship with their own agendas, leading to all sorts of confusion. It is worth noting that the word 'Celt' itself has been a subject of controversy for many years, with scholars such as Dr. Simon James and Dr. John Collis wanting to do away with the term altogether - or at the very least to limit its use.
At the heart of this matter is a confusion about identity. James and Collis stress the diversity of the Iron Age peoples, and they argue that it is misleading to push a single homogeneous identity on a varied group of peoples. With this in mind, make sure that this book is not the only work you read on the Celts, as there are different perspectives on the matter.

Cunliffe tends to take a rather neutral approach to the Celts. He argues against those old fashioned statements about waves of Celtic invasion that Victorian archaeologists stressed. Then again, unlike Collis and James, he doesn't want to do away with the term Celt just yet. He notes that many archaeologists avoid the historical record and rely entirely on archaeology. He points out that this is not a wise choice, as it is the historical record, even if it is biased, that gives us the flesh on the bones of archaeology. A good archaeologist should be willing to approach the historical record and analyse it critically rather than avoid the ancient accounts altogether.

With these ideas in mind, Cunliffe discusses the Celts. He traces their origins at Hallstatt in 1300 BC, as well as the growth of these powerful Hallstatt kingdoms and their connections with the Mediterranean and Aegean Worlds. At the centre of this book is the idea that Celtic culture was shaped by trade and the spread of ideas though trade routes among diverse groups of people. Various technologies and language dialects, as well as styles of art were spread through different 'zones' in Europe, based on rivers and seaways. Trade was central to the spread of Celtic language and culture in Western Europe and not migration, invasion and conquest as originally believed. These ideas are covered in the early chapters, and they tend to be rather complex, with ideas, tribal names and locations coming thick and fast, which means you'll constantly flicking to the maps at the back of the book to understand what Cunliffe's talking about.

That said, the Celts certainly did invade and conquer. Cunliffe discusses Celtic migrations to Eastern Europe, through Greece to Anatolia, as well as the settlements in northern Italy. Here he discusses the Roman's conquest of Cisalpine Gaul, Brennus and his sacking of Delphi, as well as Galatian mercenaries in Seleucid and Egyptian employ.

Cunliffe discusses other aspects of Celtic life; from religion and deities; to warfare and warriors; and Celtic Art and Technology. He also takes an individual look at Celtic settlements in Iberia, Eastern Europe, the 'Atlantic facade', and the highly developed Celtic lands in Gaul. The book ends with the collapse of Celtic culture at the hands of the Romans, and the survival of Celtic languages through the Dark Ages.

Barry Cunliffe is a brilliant scholar and a good writer, although I found that sometimes he repeated himself (especially when discussing the Galatians) and early sections of the book were rather dry, although it got better as the book progressed. I enjoyed this book as it gave me an interesting new perspective on an old subject. It might be difficult to get into at first, but if you stick with it you will be awarded. Just make sure you supplement the reading of this book with other titles on the Celts, as this book is by no means the only perspective on the subject.

Note: Contains maps, diagrams, charts, chronological timelines, and hundreds of photographs (in black and white and colour).


The treasures of a lost society, 09 Jan 2005
An informative and comprehensive overview of the history of Celtic Eurasia. Cunliffe's status as a leading scholar in this field is well deserved. This volume exhibits the result of many years of work. The wealth and breadth, in both time and space, of the material preclude Cunliffe engaging in flowery rhetoric or idle speculations. Using archaeology as the basis for his presentation, he provides both textual and graphic information. The result is a thorough examination of the development and movements of the Celtic peoples. Their impact on the geopolitics of Europe is great, he reminds us. Place names, artistic styles, and numerous practical elements, many of which have been downplayed or ignored during the Christian centuries, remain as a legacy of their presence and influence.

Given the paucity of Celtic written records, Cunliffe begins with a early archaeological efforts and snippets of Greco-Roman observations. What the Celts thought of themselves must remain a mystery. Those observing them found a warrior society, highly sophisticated in that realm from both aggressive and defensive standpoints. Highly mobile, the Celts established societies from Western Asia to the British Isles. In their settlements, which became increasingly organized and administered over the centuries, they laid the foundations of many modern communities. Cunliffe's accounts of these settlements, particularly those in the Iberian peninsula is likely to offer fresh information for many students.

Cunliffe gives us overviews of the "barbarian" migrations and their impact on European society. The most important result of Celtic movements, of course, was the counter expansion of Rome. Celtic domination of the trans-Alpine region drew Rome into Europe proper. Rome's choice of land routes for armies instead of sea routes for trade meant occupation or dominance of Celtic holdings. These counterforces had far-reaching results in all areas of European life. Even religion, which was normally viewed tolerantly by Rome, came under assault when the Celtic Druids became the force organizing resistance to Roman rule. Cunliffe traces these interactions with a scholar's precision, relating it all in a crisp narration.

The author's long career in this field has provided him with a storehouse of resources. Aside from the fine bibliographic essay, he enhances the main text with excellent maps, illustrations and photographs, many in colour. These cultural images impart a graphic sense of how misleading the term "barbarian" is applied to these people. Their rich heritage, eroded by Rome and virtually eliminated by Christianity is revived by Cunliffe's superb recounting of their world. This book is valuable at many levels and well worth the investment. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A passable account, but definitely not the best, 19 Nov 2001
Cunliffe's 'The Ancient Celts' is better than many things that are written about the Celts, but then that's not very hard. This book is fine as an introduction for someone that's never read anything about the Celts before, but it should also not be the only thing that one reads about them.

For a much, much better overview try John Collis' 'The European Iron Age.' It's a far more informative account and it focuses on the archaeological evidence in a reasoned, scientific manner. It has fewer glossy pictures and is more technical, but it is also very rewarding.

Probably the best book of the celts this century assembled, 09 Oct 2001
This book has been one of the most inspiring books that i have ever read. It gives us very detailed information on how the celts lived and how they came about. It gives us a great insight into how the celts lived, it describes the social, political and religious way of life that the celts had. It shows us where the celts originated from and gives us a great overview of the way of the celts. When reading this we get a great sense of what the celts were about. It describes in great detail the way of life and the customs that the celts had. It shows great emphasises on where the celts travelled to and where their place of origin was.

A Must for Your Suitcase, 04 Apr 2006
If you really want to know what you're looking at when you visit Rome, this book is a must for your suitcase! It is brisk, erudite, academic but highly accessible and fascinating. The layout is useful, too, with introductions relating to the building materials and general history. I was given it for Christmas so had plenty of time to read it before we went to Rome in March for a wonderful six days. It hugely contributed to my enjoyment of this fantastic city, where there is little interpretation of the archaeology on the ground, as it were, with a complete lack of signs, identification and interpretation. You still need a tourist guide book to get you to the sites, though, as there is no overall map of the city in the book, guiding you to where stuff is on the ground now and how to find it. Thanks to this book, we visited sites off the beaten track and got far more out of our visit than we might have done.

A. Claridge finishes where T. Ashby left off !, 28 Nov 1998
Ms. Claridge is the lastest and the newest in the field of archaeology in Rome. Not since the work of the late Prof. Thomas Ashby on ancient Rome has English language readers been able to follow the course of archaeological work particularly in the historic center of ancient Rome. The book is particularly useful for anyone interested in the recent excavations in Rome during the 1980's and early 1990's. The Topographical illustrations of the excavations in the Roman Forum is especially interesting because much of the professional publications on these area's of research is yet to be published, in Particular Prof. A. Carandini's excavation at the north/east foot of the Palatine hill(1985-1990), also in the Forum of Nerva in the Imperial forum area. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the city of ancient Rome, and archaeology in Rome during the past two-decades.

Beyond the Old Favourites, 18 Jul 2002
Peter Knight takes the rare step of going beyond the old stand-bys of Stonehenge and Avebury to detail dozens of sites which travellers might pass without a second thought. The coverage of Knowlton, a greatly underestimated site, is excellent and does the old place justice. I'd need a bit of convincing about a couple of the stones which I've seen and appear to be there more by coincidence than anything else, but, on the whole, Knight shows us that we should be happy to live in a county with such a wealth of fine sites. Be afraid of the author's ponderous poetry and stick to the site descriptions for maximum enjoyment.

A thorough and painstaking survey., 23 Sep 1999
Well, I live in Dorset and I didn`t know one tenth of the sites that Peter has catalogued in this fascinating labour of love. Designed as a book to be used `in the field`, Ancient Stones Of Dorset covers its subject in painstaking detail from obvious sites such as The Nine Stones near Dorchester, to old reports of stones now long vanished. With much folklore included, and many a ley line, this is a Neolithic winner!

comprehensive cover of standing stones and sites in Dorset, 07 Nov 1998
Peter Knight's style at times ventures on the 'alternative evangelical', nevertheless the author has come up with a very comprehensive description of standing stones and sites in Dorset, interspersed with extra snippets of historical information, and many details of ley lines, plans and sketches.

Good for archaeologists or those interested in this period, 11 Apr 2002
This is a specialist book which is a good reference guide, espeically for archaeologists, and those who are interested in this period. Detailed information on a wide variety of artefacts.

ESSENTIAL READING FOR CLASSICS STUDENTS, 22 Apr 2004
Alcock's book is vital reading for any serious student of Classics andancient archaeology. The narrative is erudite but easy to read, and thedividing of the book into 'spaces', (i.e., 'sacred landscape' &c) isuseful. Roman Greece is a much-neglected field, and Alcock's book doesmuch to redress the balance as well as contributing a new angle on thefield in the light of modern, non-invasive archaeological methods.

A must in the serious students bookshelf., 01 Dec 2001
This book covers all important aspects of greek art. It is very well illustrated and explains all major aspects in the text. It is used as the most important book in this subject at universities. If you want an easy-read and competent book, this is your first choice.

Barry Cunliffe's The Celts, 22 Jul 2008
Barry Cunliffe was Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford from 1972 until he retired recently. He has spent at least thirty years conducting excavations at numerous Iron Age sites throughout Europe, especially in England and Brittany.

In this book he collects his decades worth of research about the Celts, in order to explain these mysterious peoples to the layperson. I have read several books about the Celts, and I found this book both refreshing and thought provoking. All too often, nationalists and others hijack Celtic scholarship with their own agendas, leading to all sorts of confusion. It is worth noting that the word 'Celt' itself has been a subject of controversy for many years, with scholars such as Dr. Simon James and Dr. John Collis wanting to do away with the term altogether - or at the very least to limit its use.
At the heart of this matter is a confusion about identity. James and Collis stress the diversity of the Iron Age peoples, and they argue that it is misleading to push a single homogeneous identity on a varied group of peoples. With this in mind, make sure that this book is not the only work you read on the Celts, as there are different perspectives on the matter.

Cunliffe tends to take a rather neutral approach to the Celts. He argues against those old fashioned statements about waves of Celtic invasion that Victorian archaeologists stressed. Then again, unlike Collis and James, he doesn't want to do away with the term Celt just yet. He notes that many archaeologists avoid the historical record and rely entirely on archaeology. He points out that this is not a wise choice, as it is the historical record, even if it is biased, that gives us the flesh on the bones of archaeology. A good archaeologist should be willing to approach the historical record and analyse it critically rather than avoid the ancient accounts altogether.

With these ideas in mind, Cunliffe discusses the Celts. He traces their origins at Hallstatt in 1300 BC, as well as the growth of these powerful Hallstatt kingdoms and their connections with the Mediterranean and Aegean Worlds. At the centre of this book is the idea that Celtic culture was shaped by trade and the spread of ideas though trade routes among diverse groups of people. Various technologies and language dialects, as well as styles of art were spread through different 'zones' in Europe, based on rivers and seaways. Trade was central to the spread of Celtic language and culture in Western Europe and not migration, invasion and conquest as originally believed. These ideas are covered in the early chapters, and they tend to be rather complex, with ideas, tribal names and locations coming thick and fast, which means you'll constantly flicking to the maps at the back of the book to understand what Cunliffe's talking about.

That said, the Celts certainly did invade and conquer. Cunliffe discusses Celtic migrations to Eastern Europe, through Greece to Anatolia, as well as the settlements in northern Italy. Here he discusses the Roman's conquest of Cisalpine Gaul, Brennus and his sacking of Delphi, as well as Galatian mercenaries in Seleucid and Egyptian employ.

Cunliffe discusses other aspects of Celtic life; from religion and deities; to warfare and warriors; and Celtic Art and Technology. He also takes an individual look at Celtic settlements in Iberia, Eastern Europe, the 'Atlantic facade', and the highly developed Celtic lands in Gaul. The book ends with the collapse of Celtic culture at the hands of the Romans, and the survival of Celtic languages through the Dark Ages.

Barry Cunliffe is a brilliant scholar and a good writer, although I found that sometimes he repeated himself (especially when discussing the Galatians) and early sections of the book were rather dry, although it got better as the book progressed. I enjoyed this book as it gave me an interesting new perspective on an old subject. It might be difficult to get into at first, but if you stick with it you will be awarded. Just make sure you supplement the reading of this book with other titles on the Celts, as this book is by no means the only perspective on the subject.

Note: Contains maps, diagrams, charts, chronological timelines, and hundreds of photographs (in black and white and colour).


The treasures of a lost society, 09 Jan 2005
An informative and comprehensive overview of the history of Celtic Eurasia. Cunliffe's status as a leading scholar in this field is well deserved. This volume exhibits the result of many years of work. The wealth and breadth, in both time and space, of the material preclude Cunliffe engaging in flowery rhetoric or idle speculations. Using archaeology as the basis for his presentation, he provides both textual and graphic information. The result is a thorough examination of the development and movements of the Celtic peoples. Their impact on the geopolitics of Europe is great, he reminds us. Place names, artistic styles, and numerous practical elements, many of which have been downplayed or ignored during the Christian centuries, remain as a legacy of their presence and influence.

Given the paucity of Celtic written records, Cunliffe begins with a early archaeological efforts and snippets of Greco-Roman observations. What the Celts thought of themselves must remain a mystery. Those observing them found a warrior society, highly sophisticated in that realm from both aggressive and defensive standpoints. Highly mobile, the Celts established societies from Western Asia to the British Isles. In their settlements, which became increasingly organized and administered over the centuries, they laid the foundations of many modern communities. Cunliffe's accounts of these settlements, particularly those in the Iberian peninsula is likely to offer fresh information for many students.

Cunliffe gives us overviews of the "barbarian" migrations and their impact on European society. The most important result of Celtic movements, of course, was the counter expansion of Rome. Celtic domination of the trans-Alpine region drew Rome into Europe proper. Rome's choice of land routes for armies instead of sea routes for trade meant occupation or dominance of Celtic holdings. These counterforces had far-reaching results in all areas of European life. Even religion, which was normally viewed tolerantly by Rome, came under assault when the Celtic Druids became the force organizing resistance to Roman rule. Cunliffe traces these interactions with a scholar's precision, relating it all in a crisp narration.

The author's long career in this field has provided him with a storehouse of resources. Aside from the fine bibliographic essay, he enhances the main text with excellent maps, illustrations and photographs, many in colour. These cultural images impart a graphic sense of how misleading the term "barbarian" is applied to these people. Their rich heritage, eroded by Rome and virtually eliminated by Christianity is revived by Cunliffe's superb recounting of their world. This book is valuable at many levels and well worth the investment. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A passable account, but definitely not the best, 19 Nov 2001
Cunliffe's 'The Ancient Celts' is better than many things that are written about the Celts, but then that's not very hard. This book is fine as an introduction for someone that's never read anything about the Celts before, but it should also not be the only thing that one reads about them.

For a much, much better overview try John Collis' 'The European Iron Age.' It's a far more informative account and it focuses on the archaeological evidence in a reasoned, scientific manner. It has fewer glossy pictures and is more technical, but it is also very rewarding.

Probably the best book of the celts this century assembled, 09 Oct 2001
This book has been one of the most inspiring books that i have ever read. It gives us very detailed information on how the celts lived and how they came about. It gives us a great insight into how the celts lived, it describes the social, political and religious way of life that the celts had. It shows us where the celts originated from and gives us a great overview of the way of the celts. When reading this we get a great sense of what the celts were about. It describes in great detail the way of life and the customs that the celts had. It shows great emphasises on where the celts travelled to and where their place of origin was.

A Must for Your Suitcase, 04 Apr 2006
If you really want to know what you're looking at when you visit Rome, this book is a must for your suitcase! It is brisk, erudite, academic but highly accessible and fascinating. The layout is useful, too, with introductions relating to the building materials and general history. I was given it for Christmas so had plenty of time to read it before we went to Rome in March for a wonderful six days. It hugely contributed to my enjoyment of this fantastic city, where there is little interpretation of the archaeology on the ground, as it were, with a complete lack of signs, identification and interpretation. You still need a tourist guide book to get you to the sites, though, as there is no overall map of the city in the book, guiding you to where stuff is on the ground now and how to find it. Thanks to this book, we visited sites off the beaten track and got far more out of our visit than we might have done.

A. Claridge finishes where T. Ashby left off !, 28 Nov 1998
Ms. Claridge is the lastest and the newest in the field of archaeology in Rome. Not since the work of the late Prof. Thomas Ashby on ancient Rome has English language readers been able to follow the course of archaeological work particularly in the historic center of ancient Rome. The book is particularly useful for anyone interested in the recent excavations in Rome during the 1980's and early 1990's. The Topographical illustrations of the excavations in the Roman Forum is especially interesting because much of the professional publications on these area's of research is yet to be published, in Particular Prof. A. Carandini's excavation at the north/east foot of the Palatine hill(1985-1990), also in the Forum of Nerva in the Imperial forum area. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the city of ancient Rome, and archaeology in Rome during the past two-decades.

Beyond the Old Favourites, 18 Jul 2002
Peter Knight takes the rare step of going beyond the old s