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Crafts and Makers: the Celts

A ten‑minute look at how Celtic artisans shaped metal, textiles, pottery and writing, revealing a sophisticated network of craft and trade.

Chapters

0:07 Metal Mastery
1:35 Weaving and Textiles
2:09 Writing and Symbolic Art
3:54 Everyday Craft and Trade

On-screen text

0:07 Metal Mastery
0:23 Intricate iron swords from La Tène Historical record · La Tène site, Switzerland, 5th–1st c. BCE
0:32 Silver Gundestrup cauldron, 1st c. BCE Historical record · Gundestrup Cauldron, Denmark, 1st c. BCE
0:50 Bronze helmets with animal motifs Historical record · Hallstatt cemetery, Austria, 8th–6th c. BCE
1:08 Gold torcs of Snettisham Historical record · Snettisham Hoard, Norfolk, England, 1st c. BCE
1:26 Vix burial with bronze krater Historical record · Vix Grave, Burgundy, France, 500 BCE
1:35 Weaving and Textiles
2:00 Curvilinear La Tène pottery Historical record · La Tène pottery, Musée d'Archéologie, Nîmes, France
2:09 Writing and Symbolic Art
2:16 Writing and Symbolic Art
2:33 Kilcooly Ogham stone, 5th c. CE Historical record · Kilcooly Ogham stone, County Tipperary, Ireland, 5th c. CE
2:51 Strabo on Celtic metalwork The Institute's interpretation · Strabo, Geographica 4.1.12, 1st c. CE
3:09 Book of Kells illumination Tradition / scripture · The Book of Kells, 9th c. CE, Trinity College Dublin
3:27 Coligny Calendar, bronze tablet Historical record · Coligny Calendar, bronze tablet, 2nd c. CE, Musée de l'Archéologie, Lausanne
3:45 Triple spiral across media The Institute's interpretation · R. Green, Celtic Art: Symbolism and Technique, 2015
3:54 Everyday Craft and Trade
4:11 Triple spiral across media The Institute's interpretation · R. Green, Celtic Art: Symbolism and Technique, 2015
4:20 Silver Gundestrup cauldron, 1st c. BCE Historical record · Gundestrup Cauldron, Denmark, 1st c. BCE

Sources

Historical record: La Tène site, Switzerland, 5th–1st c. BCE · Gundestrup Cauldron, Denmark, 1st c. BCE · Hallstatt cemetery, Austria, 8th–6th c. BCE · Snettisham Hoard, Norfolk, England, 1st c. BCE · Vix Grave, Burgundy, France, 500 BCE · Iron Age textile fragments, Alesia (France), 1st c. BCE · Glass beads, Bibracte (France), 2nd c. BCE · La Tène pottery, Musée d'Archéologie, Nîmes, France · Kilcooly Ogham stone, County Tipperary, Ireland, 5th c. CE · Coligny Calendar, bronze tablet, 2nd c. CE, Musée de l'Archéologie, Lausanne

Tradition / scripture: The Book of Kells, 9th c. CE, Trinity College Dublin

The Institute's interpretation: Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica 5.23.2, 1st c. BCE · Strabo, Geographica 4.1.12, 1st c. CE · R. Green, Celtic Art: Symbolism and Technique, 2015 · J. Collis, “Celtic Roads and Trade”, Antiquity 78 (2004)

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 121 s of CPU.

Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (12) — the next things to make

Metal Mastery: Show the technical skill and artistic flair of Celtic metalworkers.
Celtic artisans polish a large silver cauldron beside a misty bog.
Weaving and Textiles: Illustrate Celtic textile production and related crafts.
Women operate a warp‑weighted loom inside a hill‑fort dwelling, weaving wool.
Celtic women work a loom in a village square, the warp threads held aloft.
Celtic women work a loom in a village square, the warp threads held aloft.
Artisans melt colored glass over a fire, shaping tiny beads with tweezers.
Artisans melt colored glass over a fire, shaping tiny beads with tweezers.
Celtic artisans polish a large silver cauldron beside a misty bog.
A packed‑earth road winds through forest, carts bearing metalwork and textiles travel between forts.
Close‑ups of a triple spiral on a sword hilt, a standing stone, and a woven belt.
Celtic artisans polish a large silver cauldron beside a misty bog.