Early Celtic Culture
The La Tene Celts of the classical period developed their culture from two earlier cultures- the Urnfield and the Hallstatt
Urnfield Culture
- The Urnfield culture (1300 BC - 750 BC) was a late Bronze Age culture of central Europe. The name comes from the custom of cremating the dead and placing their ashes in urns (vases) which were then buried in the middle of the fields
- The early Celtic peoples of the Urnfield culture first lived in an area of Europe covering from Hungary to northern Italy
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Hallstatt Culture
- The Hallstatt culture was the dominant central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC, developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of central Europe by the La Tene culture.
- It is commonly associated with the Celtic populations in the Western Hallstatt zone with pre-Illyrians in the eastern Hallstatt zone.
- Trade and population movements spread the Hallstatt culture of complications into the western side of Britain. It is plausible that some if not all of this circulation took place in a Celtic-speaking context
- The material culture of western Hallstatt culture was at a satisfactory level that provided a stable social and economic stability. Resulting in a long range trade relationship with near settlements. Powerful local chiefdoms emerged which controlled the repositioning and placement of luxury goods from the Mediterranean world that is characteristic of the La Tene culture
La Tene Culture
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