Rethinking Celtic Art

The decorated metalwork - often known as Celtic Art - from the later Iron Age and Roman periods has long been acknowledged as an important body of material. However, until now, it has mainly been analysed in terms of its stylistic development and links with continental Europe. The term 'Celtic' has been much discussed, with the notion of 'art' relatively ignored. This volume focuses predominantly on the latter term. Given current interests within archaeology in the material nature of objects and their social effects, there are now many new possibilities for analysis both of the metalwork itself and its place within Iron Age and Romano-British society. The papers in this volume were first given at a workshop in Oxford in November 2006 dedicated to the study of Celtic Art in Britain. The resulting collection makes a unique contribution to the subject, containing a variety of insights into production, art styles, dating and social significances by specialists in those fields. It will be key reading for all interested in the late Iron Age and Romano-British periods, as well as the roles of fine items of material culture in social and cultural forms. Book jacket.