In central Europe beginning about 400 BC, barbarian cultures known to the Greeks and Romans as Celts or Gauls created a great deal of trouble along the Mediterranean coasts. Known as the Celtic migrations, the movement of these troublesome warrior/raiders may have been the direct result of Mediterranean desire for exotic luxury goods.
Map of Central Europe ca 500 BC. Map by Thomas Lessman
The Iron Age in Europe refers to the collective history of these so-called barbarians, beginning with their rise from the Late Bronze Age in central France and Germany to build elite establishments called hillforts. The collapse of these elites, and the rise of their more egalitarian successors who went on to terrorize Greek and Roman civilizations, is a fascinating story.
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