The Celtic World (Routledge Worlds)

• Ireland: A World without the Romans -

influences are scarcely detectable in Ireland and the earliest phases of the continental
La Tene culture are entirely absent. It was not until (lbout 300 Be that the country
began once more to renew its contacts with the outside world.

APPEARANCE OF LA TENE

By now, of course, the La Tene Celts had poured in all directions across the
European mainland. Rome still trembled before them and the desecration of Delphi
was imminent. Ireland was, however, far from these events and initial La Tene
contacts were sporadic. Probably the oldest La Tene object from the country is a
gold buffer torque of Rhenish origin (Figure 33.2), found with a ribbon torque of the

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SCM.

Figure 33.2 Gold torque of 'fused-buffer' type, Knock, Co. Roscommon. Scale 3+