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Bronze- and Iron-Age Celtic-speakers

What don't we know, what can't we know, and what could we know? Language, genetics and archaeology in the twenty-first century

Bibliographic Data

ID8885294
AuthorsPatrick Sims-Williams (0000-0002-3306-7012, Aberystwyth University, corresponding author)
Year2012
Volume92
Pages427-449
Publication date2012-08-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Antiquaries Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0003-5815 • E-ISSN: 1758-5309
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s000358151200011x
OpenAlexW2317034626
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited120

In 1998 the author published ‘Genetics, linguistics and prehistory: thinking big and thinking straight’, a critique of late twentieth-century attempts to synthesize the disciplines of genetics, linguistics and archaeology. This paper assesses subsequent progress, using examples from various parts of the world, including Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Frisia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Micronesia, Portugal, Spain and the Canary Islands. The growing importance of mitochondrial DNA and the Y chromosome, rather than classical population genetics, is emphasized. The author argues that ancient DNA and early linguistic data should be used more. Languages mentioned include Aquitanian, Basque, Celtiberian, Etruscan, Finnish, Hungarian, Iberian, Lepontic, Lusitanian, Pictish, Raetic, ‘Tartessian’, Thracian and the Ladin dialect of the Italian Alps. Aspects of the ancient linguistic geography of Scotland and the Iberian peninsula are discussed, as is the difficulty of deciding the direction of spread of Indo-European and non-Indo-European languages. The potential of ancient place and personal names is illustrated from Celtic

Archaeology · Bronze Age · Celtic languages · Genealogy · Geography · Historical linguistics · Linguistics · Peninsula · Population · Prehistory · Sociology · Classics · Demography · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies · Forensic and Genetic Research · History · Linguistics and language evolution · Philosophy

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Unique citing works7
Citations per year0,64
Citation span2015 - 2023 (9)
Citation velocityhistorical
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 7
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