o o- Chapter Thirty-Two -
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ooFigure }l.I A reconstruction of a bucket from Baldock. (Copyright: British Museum.)Cross-Channel trade routes had already been established for centuries before the
Roman occupation, and some of the coastal tribes of northern Gaul had already
well-founded trade relations with the peoples along the south coast of Britain. This
has been shown by investigations at the ports of entry at Hengistbury Head (Cunliffe
1987) and Mount Batten (Cunliffe 1988) near Plymouth. The most important imports
were olive oil and wine, to which the Gallic Celts had become addicted (Diodorus
Siculus v.26.3), as the evidence from the distribution of amphorae shows (Peacock
1971: 168-88). More evidence of this trade is found from studying the ships of this
period (see Chapter 15), especially from those wrecked off the British and Gallic
coasts (Muckelroy 1981: 275-97). What is of great interest is that the wine was not
confined to the Gallic producers but included products from north Italy as well
(Galliou 1984), a factor which was to be of importance at a later date, as will be seen.
A problem to be faced by the British Celts was the payment for those imports.
There was a limit to the quantity of gold bullion in the form of coins, especially as
it was needed for internal uses. As a warrior society, there was always the possibil-
ity of capturing slaves in the inter-tribal frontier skirmishes which were almost
annual events, but this too was limited and the only other marketable commodities
were agricultural produce and livestock. The possibility of using such as surplus for
trade has been discussed by Barry Cunliffe in relation to Danebury (Cunliffe 1983:
174-5). However much evidence excavation can produce, there remain too many
imponderable factors to form a sound judgement. But the problem remains of the