7807mc+Ancient+Civ+Report

When you think of ancient civilizations, do you think of the Celts? Probably not. You most likely think of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, or maybe the Native Americans. But the Celts are equally important. Why? The Celts influenced many modern day designs including the Celtic knot that girls wear in their hair, tattoos of the Celtic cross, and the plaid designs which are used in private schools for uniforms. You would have never known these items were originally crafted by the Celts. Surprisingly, the Celts formed their tribe in the south of Germany and migrated to Gaul. Now a days the ancestors of this culture can be found in Ireland and Scotland.

An equally and fascinating part of the Celts culture, however, was its fashion. Dress and decoration were important to the Celts because it helped them keep warm, recognize their tribe, and show that they were proud to be Celts. We can learn more about the Celts by looking at the Celt’s clothing, jewelry, and war paint.

The Celts didn’t care much about their appearance, dressing more for warmth than for style and appearance. Men wore long wool trousers calledbracaeand wore ankle boots made of soft leather. When the weather was warm, they would dress in fitted sleeve shirts; in colder weather, they would have on a long-sleeve shirt and a wool coat. The women on the other hand, would wear a long, plaid skirt with a long-sleeve shirt or dressed in a long dress with a shawl draped over their shoulders. On their feet, the ladies wore sandals, or didn’t wear shoes when it was a little hotter outside. Kids would wear long pants or skirts (depending on gender) and would have either a long-sleeve dress or t-shirt like shirts. The clothes differ depending on gender and weather, but we can still learn about the culture, by looking at the way they dressed.

Most of the jewelry that the Celts crafted a while back survived over time, and is still being worn today. The reason why the Celt’s jewelry is still around is because it was made out of material that didn’t rot. The Celt’s put the jewelry in graves because they thought it would be safer there than where it could have been stolen by the enemy. Not just women wore jewelry, most men wore jewelry, as well to show that women were also important to their tribe. Of course the women didn't know this, but it was a secret that all men knew. The Celts loved fine jewelry, and the goldsmiths are said to have talent that won’t ever be seen again.

Warriors were also very important to the Celts, but the warriors would wear war paint to look tougher. The Celts painted themselves blue from head to toe in order to look tougher. They didn’t just paint themselves blue, they also tattooed their bodies ( hey actually painted over the blue and painted snakes, Celtic crosses, and swords or other weapons.) Both of these things were long term due to the plants they boiled in water to make the paint. This actually ended up being a good thing because the battles in which the Celts fought lasted more than one day, so the paint lasted as long as they needed it to. The blue paint and tattoos showed that they were proud to be a Celt and showed even if they died in the war they were going to die as a Celt.

The Celts began to live like the Romans. Some tribes adopted the Britain ways as well. Some began living the ways as they had before, but do not fight war and eventually died out. The Celts have left a pretty wide spread legacy from sculptures to holidays and from jewelry to weapons. The Celts have left a historic land sight called Stonehenge (which, if you haven’t heard of, you are living under a rock). They were also the ones who started St. Patricks day. The Celts also gave the world plaid, yet if you go to a private school you might not exactly like Celts because they also created the idea of wearing a uniform. As I said before the Celts are famous for Jewelry. Lastly, the Celts are most remembered for their weapons such as swords, shields, and a form of dagger. Now even though they have a long list of legacies, they should also be known for the lessons they have taught us, and the most important lesson is to be proud of your heritage because if this didn’t show that they were proud to be a Celt they would be killed, and that just shows how important culture and heritage means to them. Even though the word Celt means strength and power, the Celts should also be known for their dress and decoration.

Glossary Bracae- long wool trousers Dagger- knife Stonehenge- prehistoric monument





Works Cited Grant, Neil, and Manuela Cappon. Everyday Life of the Celts. North Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2004. Print. Martell, Hazel. The Celts. New York: Viking, 1996. Print. Norton-Taylor, Duncan. The Celts. New York: Time-Life, 1974. Print. "Rome: Total War Heaven." Rome: Total War Heaven. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2014. Taylor, Dereen. Celts. New York: PowerKids, 2010. Print.

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