War chariots are attested to during the invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar (100 - 44 BCE) in 54 BCE, and the Caledonians of modern day Scotland are described as using war chariots at the Battle of Mons Graupius in 83 CE. Britain and Ireland were more isolated from the changes in warfare which affected the continent, and British tribes continued to use chariots well into the Roman period. (Kinsella and Le Brocquy, 153)īy the 1st century BCE, chariots had begun to phase out of use in continental Europe, gradually being replaced by mounted soldiers. The chariot was settled down on two fast steeds, wild and wicked, neat-headed and narrow bodied, with slender quarters and roan breast, firm in hoof and harness-a notable sight in the trim chariot-shafts. The body of the chariot was spare and slight and erect, fitted for the feats of a champion, with space for the lordly warrior's eight weapons, speedy as the wind or as a swallow or a deer darting over the level plain. When the spasm had run through the high hero Cúchulainn he stepped into his sickle war-chariot that bristled with points of iron and narrow blades, with hooks and hard prongs, and heroic frontal spikes, with ripping instruments and tearing nails on its shafts and straps and loops and cords. Although there is no evidence that the Celts used scythed chariots, their use is described in the 8th-century CE Irish epic The Cattle Raid of Cooley ( Táin Bó Cúailnge), which is set in the 1st century CE. 6th century CE) made a similar claim about the Britons in his Getica. 103 CE) describe the Celts as riding scythed chariots into battle and the Byzantine historian Jordanes (c. Roman authors like Lucan (39-65 CE), Pomponius Mela (c. mode of fighting with their chariots is this: firstly, they drive about in all directions and throw their weapons and generally break the ranks of the enemy with the very dread of their horses and the noise of their wheels and when they have worked themselves in between the troops of horse, leap from their chariots and engage on foot. More important individuals were buried with horses or chariots. La Tene warrior burials contain objects related to warfare such as swords, spears, and helmets, as well as drinking ware related to feasting.
The warrior burials of the La Tene period date to roughly between the 6th century BCE to the 1st century BCE. On the other hand, the practice of burying elites with vehicles remained localized in Central Europe, particularly Germany and Bohemia. This mode of distinguishing elites quickly spread and burials with Hallstatt weapons and horse gear have been found as far afield as Britain and Ireland. Treasures such as drinking cups and horns also played an important role in Hallstatt burial rites, and the ability to provide sumptuous feasts became a primary method of signaling power and status. The importance of horse ownership and warrior status was shared by the Hallstatt culture which developed in the same region and flourished from around the 12th century BCE to the 6th century BCE when it was succeeded by the La Tene culture. This is especially likely to be true of more ornate swords, daggers, and helmets. For example, the placement of certain weapons or pieces of equipment may have been more ceremonial or religiously motivated. These objects may have been owned by the individuals in life, but the selection of items to include in a burial might also be influenced by local traditions and beliefs. Vehicles such as carts or wagons were also included in high-status burials, offering a precursor to the role that the chariot played in later Celtic warfare and burial rites. Important individuals were distinguished by the inclusion of items like horse gear and weapons, especially swords.
So-called 'warrior burials' are distinguished from the mass of more ordinary burials in prehistoric cemeteries by the richness and significance of their burial rites.
The practice of burying important individuals with objects related to warfare and status dates back to the 12th-century BCE Urnfield culture of Central Europe. Proto-Celtic and Celtic burials can tell us a lot about the development of warrior culture in Central Europe.