Craftsmanship of the Celts

The Tools of the Celtic Empire

The Celts are remembered as warriors during the Bronze and Iron Age. Other than great warriors they were masters of metal work for different uses, such as farming and mining. They built many of the “common” tools known such as an anvil or an axe, but they gave them personal designs.

The Celts developed incredible metal working skills. With bronze and iron, they made superior tools and weapons. There are two kinds of Celtic sword, “long” and “short”. The most common is the "long" sword, which usually has a handle or hilt made from organic material, such as wood, bone, or horn. The swords also usually had an iron plate in front of the guard. The “short” sword was simpler with just copper alloy all throughout. For armor they made regular leather shields but with metal coverings and chain-linked suits.

One of their most significant developments was the spoked wheel, metal wheel rims and iron horseshoes. The metal rims gave their chariots and carts greater speed and smoother movement while having less likeliness of breakage in both distant travel and military encounters. The horseshoes gave the horse’s hooves greater protection from injury, therefor allowing the animal greater endurance and speed.

For farming they developed a mechanized harvester; a wooden cart with spoked wheels that had blades mounted on the sides. An ox then pushed the cart, allowing the blades to cut the crops which were then pushed up a ramp and dumped into the cart.

In mining for salt that was used for trade, the miners wore helmets are made of hardened leather. The leather was soaked in water to make it more pliable. It was then shaped and rubbed with salt. After it dried, the helmet was painted with a shellac or lacquer. Four or five coats of the lacquer would further harden the leather. This technique was used in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to make helmets for firefighters.

The Celts were excellent craftsmen that incorporated their famous abstract designs to most everyday tools, weapons, jewelry and pottery. Their distinguishable designs can be seen on anything they created.

About the Author

I'm Jose Pierre and I like learning about all aspects of culture, both ancient and modern. I enjoy learning how they communicated, expressed themselves, and their technology.