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Barry Raftery

Pagan Celtic Ireland: The Enigma of the Irish Iron Age Hardcover – January 1, 1994

by Barry Raftery (Author)

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Our established impressions of early Celtic Ireland have come down to us through the great Irish sagas: epic tales of heroic struggles between kings and warriors, of outlandish gods and wise Druids. But how do these images compare with the evidence revealed by the excavator's trowel? Recent archaeological research has transformed our understanding of the period. Reflecting this new generation of scholarship, Professor Barry Raftery presents the most convincing and up-to-date account yet published of Ireland in the millennium before the coming of Christianity.
The transition from Bronze Age to Iron Age in Ireland brought many changes, not least the proliferation of imposing hillforts. Did these have a purely defensive role, or were they built for ceremonial or commercial purposes? When did the Celtic character of early Ireland emerge? New findings indicate that the construction of the country's great royal centers, such as Tara and Emain Macha, coincides with the first appearance in Ireland of the material culture of the European Celts - so-called La Tene artifacts. The author argues that these were the portable trappings of a rising aristocratic elite, which expressed its power by building highly visible monuments.
Professor Raftery also discusses the significant advances that took place in travel and transport, including the creation of the largest roadway in prehistoric Europe; the elusive lives of the common people; the idiosyncratic genius of the local metalsmiths; and the complex religious beliefs exemplified by standing stones, and offerings in rivers and lakes. He presents fascinating new material about Ireland's contacts with the Roman world, and in a final chapter he reviews the whole question of whether La Tene culture spread to Ireland through invasion or peaceful diffusion.
Pagan Celtic Ireland is the definitive statement of what we currently know about the country's shadowy, Celtic origins. Generously illustrated throughout, it will be read avidly by everyone interested in Ireland's mysterious and long-lost past.

Print length

240 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Thames & Hudson
Publication date

January 1, 1994
Dimensions

7.25 x 1 x 10 inches
ISBN-10

0500050724
ISBN-13

978-0500050729
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Barry Raftery was appointed Associate Professor in Celtic Archaeology at University College, Dublin.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thames & Hudson; First Printing edition (January 1, 1994)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0500050724
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0500050729
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.85 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.25 x 1 x 10 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,412,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,690 in Archaeology (Books)
- #3,767 in German History (Books)

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Michael Proctor

Brilliant scholarship in a difficult area of Irish history.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 7, 2017

Verified Purchase

A very thorough scholarship. A great pity the author died so young. Excellent reference to source materials and other quotations. This is a very
difficult study area, there are very many man made overlays to confuse the original and basic facts. The religious history of Ireland is a major
complicating factor. Rather surprising the author was based at a Catholic study centre and yet able to undermine so many “myths”.

Helpful

jameslewisf

What I was looking for

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 6, 2011

Verified Purchase

This is a very technical archaeological look at Pagan Celtic Ireland. That is what I was looking for. I was tired of endless speculation and nontruths that have been accepted as fact about Celts in general. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because it is VERY technical, even for me. I was also hoping for more illustrations about how settlements and people might have looked instead of illustrations just of findings, but it's still full of great illustrations and photos. Recommended for any history buff.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

allegia

Wish there were more books like this...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 2, 2013

Verified Purchase

I was drawn to this book because I've had a hard time finding works (in the US at least) that cover pre-Christian Ireland on anything other than a broad speculative level. This had a lot of hard research and excavation, and I really appreciated that. I was torn between 5 and 4 stars simply because it's a tough and sometimes dry read for anyone who's not an archaeologist...but then I feel like that's more a deficiency on my part than on the book's.

5 people found this helpful

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Set

has good info that other books don't have such as roads ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 18, 2016

Verified Purchase

very thourough study on Iron Age Ireland, steeped in archeology, very detailed, has good info that other books don't have such as roads built through ancient bogs, the construction of hillforts, crannogs (islands) and other technology from the time. how things were made, a discussion of why, etc. highly reccomended for anyone wanting to understand the ancient celts

2 people found this helpful

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Craig D Taylor

Obscure and needed

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 16, 2016

Verified Purchase

It came as was described and at the promised time. Could not ask for more.

Helpful

Archeology of Iron Age Irish Celts, Especially hill forts and burial mounds

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 26, 2019

This is mainly an archeology book. This was the first book I'd skimmed or read (by 2000) on Ireland which didn't have a bias or agenda. Kudos to Raftery for suppressing his subjectivity.
Raftery draws the conclusion that Ireland was already in the Iron Age when the La Tene Celts arrived, and that the probabilities of the existing Irish populace independently discovering iron working are slim to none. He also observes that the La Tene Celts made little to no impact on the existing culture. So who exactly was already there, and why do we think of Ireland as Celtic? The unstated by implied assumption is that the Hallstatt Celts settled there first, but Raftery has insufficient evidence to draw that conclusion, and so conservatively does not.
If you're interested in the archeological evidence of bronze and iron age Irish Celts, especially hill forts and burial mounds, this is the book for you.

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