In Our Time

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 TimeBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

5,080 ratings


More shows like In Our Time

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,583 Listeners

The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

299 Listeners

Business Daily by BBC World Service

Business Daily

520 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,057 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

298 Listeners

History Extra podcast by Immediate Media

History Extra podcast

3,220 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,875 Listeners

In Our Time: Philosophy by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Philosophy

865 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

607 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

731 Listeners

In Our Time: Religion by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Religion

275 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,117 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

477 Listeners

Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

Dan Snow's History Hit

4,789 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

235 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

362 Listeners

Have You Heard George's Podcast? by BBC Sounds

Have You Heard George's Podcast?

232 Listeners

Elis James and John Robins by BBC Radio 5 Live

Elis James and John Robins

331 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,187 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

3,298 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

15,531 Listeners

Gone Medieval by History Hit

Gone Medieval

1,873 Listeners

Not Just the Tudors by History Hit

Not Just the Tudors

2,061 Listeners

Sport's Strangest Crimes by BBC Radio 5 Live

Sport's Strangest Crimes

70 Listeners

Uncanny by BBC Radio 4

Uncanny

832 Listeners

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley by BBC Radio 4

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

523 Listeners

Empire by Goalhanger

Empire

2,469 Listeners

Believe in Magic by BBC Sounds

Believe in Magic

621 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

331 Listeners

Miss Me? by BBC Sounds

Miss Me?

253 Listeners

The History Podcast by BBC Radio 4

The History Podcast

65 Listeners

Rory Stewart: The Long History of... by BBC Radio 4

Rory Stewart: The Long History of...

76 Listeners

Havana Helmet Club by BBC Sounds

Havana Helmet Club

2 Listeners