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    Linguistic Contributions to a Model for the Celticisation of the Western Archipelago


    Stifter, David (2025) Linguistic Contributions to a Model for the Celticisation of the Western Archipelago. In: Kathleen Hughes Lecture 2025, 8 May 2025, University of Cambridge.

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    Abstract

    The question of the arrival of Celtic-speaking peoples in Britain and Ireland, i.e. the Celticisation of these islands in prehistory, has been a bone of contention – and a mystery – since the early days of Celtic Studies. For the longest time, the only two disciplines that could meaningfully contribute to this debate were archaeology and historical linguistics. However, during the latter part of the 20th century the realisation grew that the methodologies and the data of the two disciplines are not commensurate, and that the conclusions drawn by scholars from the involved disciplines are not compatible with each other. Since 2015, a third discipline with an entirely new type of data has joined the discussion: palaeogenetics. The analysis of ancient DNA provides a completely different perspective on the prehistory of the Western Archipelago and allows insights into it that neither archaeology nor linguistics are able to achieve with their own methods, and that can inspire the two traditional disciplines to look at their data again and reevaluate it. This talk is a modest attempt from the point of view of historical Celtic and Indo-European linguistics to respond to the new insights and challenges that palaeogenetics has to offer, and to assess how they can be integrated into a general theory of the Celticisation of the Western Archipelago.
    Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Keynote)
    Keywords: Linguistic Contributions; Model; Celticisation; Western Archipelago;
    Academic Unit: Faculty of Arts,Celtic Studies and Philosophy > School of Celtic Studies > Early Irish (Sean Ghaeilge)
    Item ID: 19925
    Depositing User: Prof. David Stifter
    Date Deposited: 03 Jun 2025 10:36
    Refereed: No
    Funders: Taighde Éireann - Research Ireland
    URI: https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/19925
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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