Iron Age Celts

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For assignments, see Readings

 -- this Calendar is entirely provisional, and will change in accordance with the needs and desires of the class...


Topic
Things to Ponder

Week 1
Introduction, transition from Bronze to Iron Age in Europe

Who were the "Celts"? Is there such a thing? What relationship is there between the European Bronze Age and the Bronze Ages elsewhere?

Week 2
Transition from Bronze to Iron Age. Looking at objects and art 

What are the salient characteristics of Urnfield, "Hallstatt C and D"? What are we to make of imports?

Week 3
Aspects of Hallstatt C-D.

Interpretation of funerary assemblages. Funerary rite.
Tombs and identity.

Gender issues.

What can we say about localization? 

What are the differences and similarities between male and female graves?

Is personal identity expressed in  a tomb? Social identity? Economic?  or is identity destroyed by the burial? What is the purpose of burial? What is the purpose of burial of object assemblages?

What roles did women play in late BA and early Iron Age society? How can we tell?

Week 4
Major sites of the late Hallstatt D and early La Tène.

Gender issues.

Cattle-raising/raiding, conquest, warfare.

Warfare, arms and armor.

Social structure, livelihood.

Women in the classical sources.
Women in the archaeological record.

Men in the classical sources.
Men in the archaeological record.

Week 5
Hallstatt to early La Tène

Daily life -- livelihood during "migration"/post- "princely" era.

Agriculture, transhumance, livestock.

Manufacture; craftsmanship; interpretation of art, objects.

"Celts" as mercenaries.

DESCRIPTIVE essay Due
The early Iron Age transition; what are the salient characteristics of La Tène A?

Who made these works, for whom, for what purpose?
 
Questions of influence, transformation, reuse.


How did the "Celts" fight? How do we know? What role did warfare play in the "culture"?
The immediacy of warfare, and use of the weapons ...
The "warlike Celts" of literature -- why and how?
Week 6

The Classical sources, "Celts" in Greek and Roman eyes.

"Celts" invade Greece and Rome.
First Quiz - Map, Terms & Concepts

What is the nature of our written sources? How do we approach them? How are they to be used?

Historiography vs. Archaeology

Week 7

Synthesis: burial, gender, warfare, sources.


How do we put it all together?

3/6 -- 11 to 4:40
Explore UT

"The biggest open house in Texas

Week 8
"Celtic" drinking, guest-friendship, wine. 

Massalia, emporia.

Social, political and other aspects of the "Celtic" feast. How does the burial context of the finds affect our interpretation?

Did the "Celts" practice the symposium? Were the "Celts" colonized?


SPRING BREAK
what a fabulous time to catch up on all the reading and really synthesize what we have learned!
Week 9
Synthesis. Really.

Week 10


Internal interactions, structures.

Economics, trade, industry.

Coinage.


What is the social structure?  Is there just one?  "Tribe" and "State"

What did the "Celts" live on?  What do we mean by "trade" and "economy" in a pre-capitalist society?

The "Celtic" monetary economy - when, where, why and to what effect?

Week 11

Sanctuaries,  architecture

Viereckschanzen

Religion


Interpretation of extant architecture.
How do we define what is "ritual" and why?
Headhunting. Sacrifice.
Religion, belief, cult, Druids -- what is the evidence?


Week 11

"Celts" elsewhere -- "Celts" in Italy
"Celts" in the East and Galatians
Celtiberians

Works-in-Progress DUE

How "Celtic" were these "peripheral" peoples?
What criteria should we use to make such a determination?
What roles did these peripheries play in the history of the "Celtic" peoples

Week 12

The Celtic Languages

Map Quiz 2

Introduction to the Celtic language group

Week 13

Later La Tène/Romanization

The Continental Celts and the Roman conquest of Gaul

The Insular Celts in pre- and early Roman times - introduction
Guest Speaker: Andrew Riggsby (Caesar)

How was the Roman conquest accomplished? How did the Romans view the "Celts"? How did the "Celts" respond to Roman conquest?
Cultural break or continuity? Define: acculturation, Romanization.

What is "Romanization"?
Were there "Celts" in the British Isles?
What continuity was there with the continental "Celts"?

How were the islands Christianized?
Week 14
The Insular "Celts"
The Celtic Revival -- Celtic languages and arts today

FINAL PAPER DUE -- see Paper Guidelines


What attracts modern populations to claim "Celts" as ancestors, and to invent new kinds of Celt?
Why is "Celtic" descent so powerful a force today?

What is a "Celt"? Is there such a thing? Was there such a thing in the ancient world? Does it matter & if so, why?

Date & time TBA
FINAL EXAM -- in-class portion; hand-in take-home portion



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For help with papers, see Paper Guidelines.





Last updated,Wednesday, 18-Nov-2009 15:29:31 CST