!!!Kelten

Celts, collective name for numerous tribes of the  Iron Age. In the 
6%%sup th/%  century B.C. a cultural unit with relatively uniform 
political and social structures developed between the Seine and the 
Inn; the language, religion, and material culture of the various 
groups were similar, with local variations. They were not politically 
united; they maintained contacts with the Mediterranean region. The 
people of this Western Hallstatt Culture were called Celts by the 
Greeks and Gauls by the Romans.

\\
Around 450 B.C., the  La Tène Culture, which had developed 
in this region, spread to eastern Austria, where the agricultural 
population, without any military conflicts or conquests, adopted the 
new cultural form, copied it, and soon considered themselves Celts. 
The first migrations of Celts into Austria did not begin until the 
4%%sup th/%  century B.C.; at the same time the Celts began 
military campaigns extending as far as Rome, Greece, and Asia Minor 
(Gala).

\\
Celtic art developed from extremely varied elements of the  Hallstatt 
Culture, Greek, and Etruscan influences as well as motifs from the 
eastern steppes, which were altered to meet a variety of tastes. From 
the 3%%sup rd/%  century B.C., coins were stamped, based on 
Macedonian prototypes. Knowledge of Celtic deities was mainly passed 
on by the Romans.

\\
The Celts lived in tribal units. Their local centres were hilltop 
enclosures:  Birgitz,  Bisamberg, Braunsberg near Hainburg,  
Leopoldsberg,  Magdalensberg, Oberleiserberg ( Leiser Mountains),  
Freinberg in Linz, Kulm near Weiz, Rainberg in Salzburg. Tribes known 
by name living in the region of what is now Austria included the  
Boii, and the  Norici Tribe. The Celtic  Regnum Noricum probably 
developed in the 2%%sup nd/%  century B.C.; this was the first 
documented mention of a state-like entity on Austrian territory.

\\
Many names of towns, mountains, and rivers in Austria date back to the 
Celts, e.g. Bregenz, Lorch, Linz, Tauern, Alps, Inn, Enns, Ybbs, 
Traisen, and Kamp. In 1970 a Celtic museum was opened in  Hallein.

!Literature
G. Dobesch, Die Kelten in Oesterreich nach den aeltesten 
Berichten der Antike, 1979; Die Kelten in Mitteleuropa, exhibition 
catalogue, Hallein 1980; F. Moosleitner, Die Schnabelkanne vom 
Duerrnberg, 1985; G. Dobesch, Das Keltentum des Donauraums und der 
Ostalpen in vorroemischer Zeit, 1986; I Celti, exhibition catalogue 
Palazzo Grassi, Venice 1991; J.-W. Neugebauer, Die Kelten im Osten 
Oesterreichs, 1992; H. Birkhan, Kelten. Versuch einer 
Gesamtdarstellung ihrer Kultur, 1997; idem, Kelten. Bilder ihrer 
Kultur, 1999.


%%language
[Back to the Austrian Version|AEIOU/Kelten|class='wikipage austrian']
%%

[{FreezeArticle author='AEIOU' template='Lexikon_1995_englisch'}]
[{ALLOW view All}][{ALLOW comment All}][{ALLOW edit FreezeAdmin}]