Today, many people like to use herbs either in the kitchen or to treat minor ailments. But few remember that at one time or another, across all the continents as far back as the Stone Age, people in antiquity have been using all sorts of different species of plants for the very same reasons. In fact, by the Iron Age, the knowledge of how to use herbs for medicine and cooking was intrinsic in the day to day lives of the people. Perhaps it could even be described as a general knowledge amongst all levels of people. Continue reading “HERBS & MEDICINE”
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WHAT DID THE IRON AGE PEOPLE EAT & DRINK?
Some movies and cartoons show the Celts eating big joints of wild boar around blazing campfires every night. But it’s important to remember that neither ancient Greek Olympic athletes nor Roman Gladiators ever ate red meat. Infact, Gladiators were some of the fittest individuals at this time in history and they were nicknamed ‘Barley –eaters’
In my opinion, even in an Iron Age community such feasting would have happened only on special occasions and the Iron Age people probably ate some of the following food on a day to day basis instead: Continue reading “WHAT DID THE IRON AGE PEOPLE EAT & DRINK?”
HOW IRON AGE SOCIETY WORKED
The Chieftain
When it comes to the structure of Iron Age society, with the exception of Druids, Chieftains were above all else. The whole of Iron Age society, for the greater part was a client-based society, which means that the Chieftain provided you as a free man, with land, cattle, the tools to provide yourself with food and shelter. In return you gave your support at gatherings or as a warrior in a time of war. Warfare aside, no doubt some form of tax was paid back to the chieftain. This may have been in the form of surplus woven cloth or a percentage of the surplus crops you grew etc. Continue reading “HOW IRON AGE SOCIETY WORKED”
WHAT DID THE IRON AGE BRITONS LOOK LIKE?
Firstly, let’s talk about our traditional understanding of how the Celts looked in Physicality. The Classical writers both Roman and Greek describe the Gauls as tall, fair skinned with well-developed muscles. Their stories and saga’s describe both the ideal warrior and woman. Warriors strove to keep themselves in good physical condition and we are told by classical writers that the Celts preferred to have blonde hair, even dyeing their hair if it wasn’t already so. Women are described as being of equal stature to their men and the most beautiful had swan white skin and long elaborate hair with teeth as white as pearls. Continue reading “WHAT DID THE IRON AGE BRITONS LOOK LIKE?”
SHOULD WE SAY CELTS OR BRITONS?
The Iron Age people referred to in this book are Britons and Gauls. The Gauls were the inhabitants of what is now modern France and belonged to a group of people whom Archaeologists call ‘The Celts’
This term, ‘The Celts’ has been misleading and many people today think that the inhabitants of Britain and Ireland were also Celts. However, it is now generally accepted that the Britons and Gauls were different cultural groups but whom both understood iron production and traded with one another. Continue reading “SHOULD WE SAY CELTS OR BRITONS?”