Searching for Celtic Trade Routes and the Stories Behind Them

Before the Roman Empire dominated Europe, a group of tribes known now as the Celts created a trade system which allowed them to communicate and sell things over large distances. It is known that people were able to buy and sell products from the farthest areas of the world they knew. The story of Celtic trade is difficult to interpret, but it also fascinating because it sheds a new light on European origins.

Excavations in Central Europe proved that before the Roman Empire dominated Europe people already had a well working trade route. They were selling and buying items over vast distances. The discoveries made in sites all over Europe and the Mediterranean suggest that the people who lived during the Bronze Age knew much more about each other than was once believed. Tacitus, Diodorus Siculus, Caesar, Polybias, and Strabo wrote about it. These ancient texts have really helped researchers to find archaeological evidence of trade routes.

Celtic Tribe Trading

People often believe that the heartland of the Celts is Western Europe – Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Brittany in France, etc. However, the truth is much more complicated – the Celts also appeared in Eastern and Central Europe. For example, there was a very strong community near the Danube River in Germany and even in southern Poland. More of their story in Europe appears with each new excavation. Through this, researchers find out more about how many societies were at least influenced by the culture which is now known as the Celts.

For example, the center of Celtic culture in Germany contained a city of as many as 10,000 people. And that society was living in luxury. According to archaeological excavations, they were drinking Greek wine, ate food from Iberia, and wore Etruscan gold jewelry. During those times, Rome could have been considered a poor place in comparison.