Lloyd Laing

Celtic Britain (1979) traces the history of the Celts and Celtic culture from the arrival of the first scattered groups of settlers in Britain in the seventh century BC to the development of the kingdoms of medieval Scotland and Wales. Although a Celtic culture continued to flourish independently throughout the Roman and Saxon periods, influences from outside began to permeate Celtic society, particularly that of Christianity.

Celtic Britain (1979) traces the history of the Celts and Celtic culture from the arrival of the first scattered groups of settlers in Britain in the seventh century BC to the development of the kingdoms of medieval Scotland and Wales. Although a Celtic culture continued to flourish independently throughout the Roman and Saxon periods, influences from outside began to permeate Celtic society, particularly that of Christianity.

The image of the Celt is one of the most emotive in the European past, evoking pictures of warriors, feasts, and gentle saints and scholars. This comprehensive and fully-illustrated book, first published in 2006, re-appraises the archaeology of the Celtic-speaking areas of Britain and Ireland from the late fourth to the twelfth century AD, a period in which the Celts were a leading cultural force in northern Europe. Drawing on recent scientific advances, the book provides a new perspective on the economy, settlement, material culture, art and technological achievements of the early medieval Celts and re-examines their interaction with the Romans and Vikings. Including a full survey of artefacts and archaeological sites, from memorial stones to monasteries, this is essential reading for any student or scholar with an interest in Celtic archaeology, history or culture.

Who were the Picts and the Scots? For a long time the Picts were known almost entirely from their mysterious symbol stones, which generations of scholars have tried to interpret and date. The discovery of the St Ninian's Isle Treasure in 1958 added a new dimension to our understanding of these accomplished people, but still many problems concerning them and their links with Scotland remain unresolved. This account presents the latest archaeological discoveries and dicusses the evidence for the relationship between these two peoples, tracing their development from raids on Roman Britain to the formation of rival Dark Age kingdoms that produced a unique artistic inheritance.

A full descriptive catalogue of Celtic ornamental metalwork of British provenance, along with the moulds for making lost objects, though excluding those objects already fully catalogued, such as the simpler types of pennanular brooch, and hanging bowls.