In Our Time: History

The Celts


Listen Later

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Celts. Around 400 BC a great swathe of Western Europe from Ireland to Southern Russia was dominated by one civilisation. Perched on the North Western fringe of this vast Iron Age culture were the British who shared many of the religious, artistic and social customs of their European neighbours. These customs were Celtic and this civilisation was the Celts.The Greek historians who studied and recorded the Celts' way of life deemed them to be one of the four great Barbarian peoples of the world. The Romans wrote vivid accounts of Celtic rituals including the practice of human sacrifice - presided over by Druids - and the tradition of decapitating their enemies and turning their heads into drinking vessels.But what were the Celts in Britain really like? Was their apparent lust for violence tempered by a love of poetry and beautiful art? How far should we trust the classical historians in their writings on the Celts? And what can we learn from the archaeological remains that have been discovered in this country? With Barry Cunliffe, Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford University; Alistair Moffat, Historian and author of The Sea Kingdoms - The Story of Celtic Britain and Ireland; Miranda Aldhouse Green, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Wales.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

In Our Time: HistoryBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

1,808 ratings


More shows like In Our Time: History

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,389 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,840 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,902 Listeners

History Extra podcast by Immediate Media

History Extra podcast

3,189 Listeners

Thinking Allowed by BBC Radio 4

Thinking Allowed

308 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

501 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,782 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,049 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,925 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,080 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

597 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

721 Listeners

In Our Time: Religion by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Religion

279 Listeners

In Our Time: Philosophy by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Philosophy

864 Listeners

The History Hour by BBC World Service

The History Hour

590 Listeners

Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

Dan Snow's History Hit

4,675 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

4,108 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

741 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,979 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

3,027 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

12,979 Listeners

Gone Medieval by History Hit

Gone Medieval

1,745 Listeners

Not Just the Tudors by History Hit

Not Just the Tudors

1,976 Listeners

Empire by Goalhanger

Empire

2,095 Listeners