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The Snettisham Torc Hoards Information:

The Great Torc:

The Snettisham Great Torc dates from the late first century BC and is the finest example of insular British art. The great torc was made of electrum; an alloy of 3 parts gold to 2 parts silver, and is 20cm (7.9 inches) in diameter.

The neck-ring was produced in two stages from 64 separate wires totaling over 20 metres, groups of eight wires were coiled to the right around a ‘former’ to produce eight hollow strands - these were carefully coiled together to form the neck-ring. Elaborate round-ended punch-ornate (hollow) ring terminals decorated with ‘La Tene’ low relief ornament were then cast onto each end using the ‘lost-wax’ technique.

The Snettisham site has yielded 14 torc hoards amounting to 15 kilograms of gold (33 pounds), and 20 kilograms of silver (44 pounds).

Hoard E was discovered in 1950, the lower nest of gold torcs was comprised of one complete gold torc, and part of a second gold torc with its terminals secured to a damaged bangle, a worn gold stater coin was found trapped inside one of the terminals.

fig1: nest of gold torcs

The five torc hoards, E, G, H, J ,K.

After the discovery of Hoard E, the British Museum decided to organise a thorough archaeological investigation of the Snettisham hoard site. The results from this excavation have provided the first fully recorded evidence to date by revealing how the five hoards were initially buried. All the hoards were buried inside a large enclosure, but even after extensive evaluation work carried out at the site experts have failed to establish the function of this sacred enclosure. Hoards G, H, J and K were ‘nests’ of torcs that were buried in shallow pits, but the most impressive ‘nest of torcs’ (hoard E) had been buried in two stages with a layer of soil separating the upper nest of silver and bronze torcs from the deeper deposit of mainly gold torcs. Although several bronze torcs are too fragile for display, most torcs can be viewed at the British Museum.

Lindow Man; bog body mystery, and the Mistletoe potion:

A variety of sources suggest that the famous bog body victim known as "Lindow Man” was a sacrificial victim. Although the experts know how he died and when (late Iron Age), they cannot be certain of the facts surrounding his grisly death, or his identity, but it is possible that he could have been either a Druid Prince, or perhaps an executed criminal. The ‘overkill’ facts are as follows :
(1) Firstly he was dealt a heavy blow to his head, which knocked him unconscious,

(2) Secondly he was garrotted – strangled with a thin cord,

(3) Thirdly and lastly, his throat was cut.

Lindow Man was given a meal followed by a drink that contained traces of mistletoe pollen shortly before he was killed, which is believed to have acted as a mild anaesthetic. A measured dose administered to the victim would ease the individuals suffering, more especially as “Lindow Man” may well have been a voluntary sacrifice.

The Lincolnshire Ancient Fenland Causeway.

The Lincolnshire causeway, an ancient timbered Iron Age Structure, ran across the marsh and bog land terrain of 2,500 years ago, providing the people of this small community with an essential passageway and contact with the other larger tribal Celtic (language speaking) farming establishments within the region. Built using 195 timbers, the posts were driven 5 metres into silt and soil, at a distance of two metres apart, quite an incredible feat of engineering for the Celts, whose knowledge of their surroundings was far greater than first realised, they clearly understood the natural environment, the bogs and different soil types, this knowledge of our ancestors is lost to us today.

Throughout the whole length of this walkway, people deposited very valuable items of the day into the adjacent waters, a large amount of tools and weapons were found such as swords, (precious objects) which were the latter day equivalent to owning a Ferrari, or Rolls Royce. These highly treasured personal belongings were private votive/ offerings to the Gods, and they were carefully placed into the water rather than just thrown.

The religious beliefs, rituals and ceremonial practises of the Druids, differed greatly from one tribe to another. In other words no two sets of orders were the same throughout the country, there was no such thing as a united Ancient Druid order amongst the Celtic speaking peoples of Britain, as each caste was unique to its own tribe. Some experts even suggest that they were not necessarily the elite or wise-men/ women, possibly quite ordinary persons, given positions of authority within their communities, who got stoned out of their minds on a regular basis and hallucinated under the influence of “magic mushrooms”, having “Shamanistic Visions” as that particular type of substance, (which was available to the ancients) when taken orally would produce the same powerful side effects as the LSD drug is known to induce in humans.

Artefacts found alongside the Iron Age Causeway. Iron Age Workshop:

An amazing collection of woodworking tools including files, hammers and huge axes were found, as well as some very unusual sharpened bone spearheads. These examples or exhibits of high quality artwork are a clear indication of an extremely sophisticated society. This shows us that the ancient Britons knowledge of the arts together with their incredible metalworking skills proves them vastly superior in direct contrast to the Roman writers/historians accounts (single-minded views) of them as uncivilised pagans, barbarians, or savages talented only in warfare. These Celtic peoples were already at an advanced stage/level of development long before the Romans set foot on British soil.

The Causeway: Other Substantial Finds:

Another interesting find was the ancient log boat discovered right beside the causeway, it had been perfectly preserved in the peat bed where it had lain for over 2,000 years or more. Believed to have been deliberately sunk, and without doubt an offering to the gods of the underworld. As here we have yet another example of the religious practises of our ancestors, considering that this ornately carved vessel was made specifically for sole purpose of appeasing their water god/goddess. Experts confirmed the fact that this boat was never actually used. Many objects were carefully

placed in lakes and rivers, two famous items are the astonishing bronze shields that was recovered from the River Witham in Lincolnshire and the River Thames at Battersea; this elaborate shield with its intricate patterns, and swastika type designs, was obviously intended for ceremonial purposes only, as this could not have provided the user with the adequate protection needed during combat.

Crannogs of the Ancient Britons.

Crannogs (Irish/Scots Gaelic names for them) were Celtic Iron Age settlements built from wood, they were more or less, villages suspended upon wooden stilts and these would support a wooden platform. Huts were then erected upon these platforms. Crannogs are usually found in the middle of a lake, creating an artificial type of island, they were also constructed over bog land or marsh land, in southern Britain, such as the Cambridgeshire Fens. One of the most significant of all of the ancient lake dwelling places in the south west of England was the discovery of the Iron Age lake village at Glastonbury, England – archaeological investigations of this site carried out in the late 19^th century unearthed a wide range of pottery vessels of La Tene design .

There are a number of accounts by Roman authors that describe just how effectively these wetland forts/settlements proved themselves to be in the way of providing food & shelter from attack to the Celts, and where they could remain in relative safety for several months at a time. When the Romans under Severus pursued the ancient British Caledonii tribe, into their marshland terrain, he lost 50,000 of his own troops. Caesar too, mentions how the Morini tribe, managed to escape their enemies, when they sought refuge in their marshes.

The Ancient Briton of the Fens

Turf diggers working at Burwell Fen, were astounded when the body of an Ancient Briton seemed to appear from nowhere. He stood upright in his canoe, his lank black hair drooped onto his shoulders, the peat coloured skin was still stretched over the bones of his face, the eyes had gone but the eye sockets were dark and full of mystery. He wore a long leather jacket, belted, with garters round his legs, and the right arm of the man was raised as though he was about to cast a spear. That body of the “unknown hunter”, the “nameless warrior”, had been preserved in the peat for thousands of years, and just crumbled to dust in the fen air.

The Iron Age murder mystery

Britain’s first “Witch Burial” mystery featured the discovery of an Iron Age burial in Northamptonshire of 2,400 years ago and the mystery surrounding the death of the unfortunate female occupant. She was around 30 - 40 years of age and of average height, who had led a fairly ordinary life; judging by the wear on her bones, she had spent a great deal of time bending, stooping and squatting, (common practise for women in those times).

Because complete Iron Age burials (skeletons) are very rarely found in this country, this woman was obviously a very special individual, and quite possibly a sacrifice, who probably volunteered herself to negotiate with the Celtic gods probably in a bid to save both her children and grandchildren from starvation, perhaps because the crops had failed that year.

The key points are as follows:

(1) Her hands were bound and she was pushed face down in a crouched position against the side of the pit, maybe buried alive.

(2) The Celts left the bodies of their dead out until the flesh had been removed naturally by animals and birds, and only buried parts of bones, not whole skeletons.

(3) Only high status individuals were placed in graves, with precious jewellery/objects, and this female was wearing a solid lead torque neck-ring collar although broken and in two halves, but nevertheless a valuable clue to her importance within her community.

(4) In 400 BC the Celtic people living in that area of Northamptonshire where the body was found, were almost certainly farmers and relied heavily upon the success of their crops. Such was their religion that failing crops were believed to be a sign that the gods were angry, and so therefore to appease the gods and ensure fertility, a human sacrifice was necessary.

Theburial dates to the middle Iron Age era – a period known"La Tene B". The neck torc provides a vital clue, as this type of twisted spiral ring (known as a Wendelring) is a fine example of early La Tene art.

The Celtic Festivals:

(1) Imbolc (Feb 1st)

(2) Beltane (May 1st)

(3) Lughnasa (Aug 1st)

(4) Samain (Nov 1st)

Celtic ploughing, Farming methods.

The “Ard” the Celtic plough only lightly turned the soil - in a criss cross formation. The patterned effect on the landscape became known as “Celtic Fields”.However, although the Celts lacked the heavier (deeper) plough, (which was first introduced to the British Isles by the Romans), the resourceful Celtic farmers still managed to grow a wide and abundant range of crops.

The Celts produced crops such as: wheat, barley, millet, elmer, spelt, beans, lentils, and flax. Fibre from the plant stems would be woven into linen, also the seeds would have provided valuable quantities of linseed oil.

The Celtic festivals:

Imbolc: Feb 1st

The Celtic feast of Imbolc (the time of milking) begins February 1^st. The Celtic calendar, is traditionally connected with the seasons, concerning both agriculture and animal husbandry i.e. ploughing and sowing, and the rearing, raising of livestock.

If the weather is particularly bad at this time, (with heavy snowfalls throughout the land) the Celtic farmers would interpret this as meaning that they could look forward to a good crop & bumper harvest for the forthcoming year.

Beltane: May 1st

The ancient Celtic fire festival of Beltane traditionally begins on May 1^st, otherwise known as “May day”. Derived from Gaelic, the word ‘Beltane’ means “bright fire”, and during this festival many giant bonfires were lit lining the cattle drove-ways as the men drove their great herds of beasts to pastures anew – uttering spells and incantations to the gods in order to ward of evil spirits and keep their animals healthy and free from disease. According to accounts the Celts performed rituals and fire ceremonies - and welcomed in the friendly summertime spirits by holding huge feasts, dancing and celebrating the start of summer and the agricultural season, and as the people rejoiced they were hoping that their crops would yield bumper harvests this year.

Lughnasa: Aug 1st

Lughnasa is a Celtic festival with a difference, as unlike other important agricultural related ceremonies/festivities, this ritual was focused entirely upon crop raising and harvesting, rather than stock raising, i.e.the lambing season and milking.

This event in the Celtic calendar has it roots in Irish history, and is so-named “Lughnasa” after the Irish/Celtic god of agriculture (protector of crops & harvesting), who was known as Lugh, and the festival itself marks the beginning of his personal feast. Traditionally the celebrations and harvest thanksgivings continue for four consecutive weeks, as this major event begins a fortnight ahead; during the last two weeks of July, up to the first of August, whereupon the festivities continue for at least another two weeks.

Samain Nov 1st

The ancient Celtic festival of Samain, (or Hallowe'en as it is known to some) is a celebration of the dead; a time when the living meet with the spiritual underworld of dead ancestors. It is one of four agricultural calendar based festivals that survive to this day, and proof that the Ancient Britons continued with their old customs, religious rites, and festivals despite becoming Christians, interbreeding, and absorption of the Anglo-Saxon immigrants - intermingled with a sprinkling of Scandinavian and Norman influences. The (pagan) Celtic (British) custom of ancestor worship which culminated in the removal of human heads – which were then carefully prepared and put on display inside their houses - is still apparent today - depicted in the pumpkin heads that we illuminate and place inside our windows today on All Hallows Eve (Hallowe'en 31st October) the eve of Samain/Samhain.

Celtic shrines and monuments to the dead.

Ribemont Sur-Ancre, Picardy, Northern France.

The site at Ribemont Sur-Ancre in Picardy, Northern France revealed the largest collection of bones and weapons ever found in Europe. Twenty years of Archaeological excavations and research has produced some amazing facts concerning the Celts and their religion, rituals and beliefs….and the mysterious ancestor monument built to commemorate the fallen in this one great battle between the Armoricans, a tribe from Brittany (north west Gaul), and the Ambiani, a Belgic tribe of northern Gaul.

The structure; a large wooden framework dates from 280 – 260 BC, was erected by the victors of the battle; this held the remains of 500 individual Celtic warriors transported from the battlefield, all were males aged between 15 to 40 years. The headless corpses stood together side by side, suspended upright with their weapons on wooden frames, thus forming a lasting memorial, commemorating all the brave men from both sides who had died so heroically in this one great battle. There they remained until their corpses rotted and fell and the structure eventually collapsed. The open-air monument to the Celtic dead on a hill top would have been visible for miles across the surrounding countryside. A place where ancestor worship rituals were performed and offerings were made to the gods upon a nearby square-shaped altar with a central pit that contained the ashes of the dead warriors of the defeated tribe. This was surrounded by the arms & leg bones of dead warrior heroes of the victorious Ambiani who had died in this battle. Neck vertebrae analysis revealed the careful surgical removal of the heads was made by a series of knife cuts, and it was only possible to do this so accurately, if performed after the death of an individual, according to the bone experts (osteologists). The heads were most probably deposited into the nearby River Samara, now known as the Somme.