Abstract: Meanings in Early Celtic Art Lecturer: Peter Wells The
style known as Early Celtic Art appeared around 500 BC in
central and western Europe, replacing the geometrical ornament
of the Early Iron Age. This new style, with its dynamic patterns
of floral forms and abundant use of human and animal faces and
figures, became the basis not only for the Celtic art of the
Late Iron Age, but also for the art styles of the Late Roman and
early medieval periods, Anglo-Saxon and Viking ornament, and
later decorative fashions. Recent archaeological discoveries
enable us to examine the first uses of this new style and to
address the question of its meaning to the people who created
and used it. Short bibliography and/or website on lecture topic
(for lay reader): Megaw, R. and V. Celtic Art. Thames and
Hudson, 1989. Wells, P.S. Beyond Celts, Germans and Scythians:
Archaeology and Identity in Iron Age Europe. Duckworth, 2001.
Wells, P.S. Image and Response in Early Europe. Duckworth, 2008.