Celtic Wales

by Miranda Aldhouse-Green, Ray Howell

Celtic Wales explores the early history of Wales from its Celtic Iron Age beginnings until the early medieval period. It engages with controversial current issues such as the ‘Celtic Debate’ (whether or not it is valid to call later prehistoric Europe, including Wales, ‘Celtic’). It places Wales in its wider European context, explaining shared and divergent values, belief-systems and communication with the wide world. The book takes as its building-blocks of evidence both ancient and medieval literature and archaeology, with a final chapter that looks at the fascinating world of Celtic mythology in Wales. The text is complemented by superb and informative illustrations.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 27, 2000

About the author

Miranda Green was born in London and educated at Greycoat Hospital, Westminster. She took an Honours degree at University College, Cardiff and an M. Litt. at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She gained a research scholarship at the Open University and was awarded a doctorate in 1981 for her thesis on Romano-Celtic sun-symbolism. She has received research awards from the Society of Antiquities of London and from the British Academy, and was awarded the Leverhulme Research Fellowship at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. After holding posts at Worthing and Peterborough Museums, she took up posts as Tutor in Roman Studies and full-time administrator at the Open University in Wales.

Until recently professor of archaeology at Newport University, Miranda's teaching experience ranges from leading undergraduate courses on Roman Britain and Iron Age Europe to managing and contributing to Newport's MA in Celto-Roman Studies. She has supervised more than twenty PhD and MPhil students to successful completion.

Miranda Aldhouse-Green is Tutor for the MA Archaeology programme, and is module leader for three of the MA skills modules (Research Methods, Writing Archaeology/Writing the Past and Speaking Archaeology). She lectures on Early Celtic Studies and contributes to the third-year undergraduate Theory course.

External responsibilities include membership of the Ancient Monuments Advisory Board for Wales, presidency of the Prehistoric Society (2004-6) and membership of the management board of the University of Wales Press.

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a 2017 edition so it had a few more pages in there.

It was a good little brief guide on the celtic influence in what is now Wales from the iron age through to the medieval age.

There are some strange spelling and grammatical errors which I wouldn't expect in an historical publication but I suppose that happens. There was a lot of interesting tidbits of information within that I didn't know and that I found very interesting, being a resident of South East Wales and growing up with knowledge of the Silures and roman civitas area near me.

[Ivan Monckton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather ponderous...

[Nathan Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great overview of what is thought of as "Celtic Wales." Not a hard or dense read. I found a couple sections a little tiring, but found others absolutely fastinating. If you like history, and just want a basic guide to get you started on early Welsh history, this is an excellent read!