Celtic Culture in Western Europe

The Celts are commonly thought of as the ancient Irish. But really their civilization covered a much larger area than Ireland. The Celts first appeared in history in the 9th century BC. They spread into Gaul, the Iberian Peninsula, northern Italy, the Balkans, Asia Minor, Britain, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. By the 5th century BC, their civilization spread into towns in Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland. At the height of their power, their territory stretched from the British Isles to Turkey, but they finally fell to the Romans and Germanic tribes.
Even though they were not all of the same ethnicity they spoke the same language, but had many different dialects. They were one of the greatest skilled cultures of the ancient world: experts in agriculture, talented metalworkers, builders of roads and chariots and had some of the most gorgeous artwork of their time. They were also warriors of unparalleled courage and ferocity, feared even by the toughest and cruelest Roman legi...