I've just finished reading this book. The Ancient Paths by Graham Robb.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ancient-Path...+ancient+paths
It is very well written and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The ideas presented by Robb are potentially exhillarating, but at the same time they do not sit well with my understanding of iron age Europe.
Extremely briefly; the Heraclian way (or a version of it, it isn't the same as the Roman road) was an important conceptual route from the early iron age through to at least 218 BC. The distribution of Iberian and Celtiberian place names, the original land division of the Massilian colony of Agde and Hannibal's route to Italy all respect it.
With the Heraclian way as a starting point, Robb then extrapolates out an increasingly intricate network of lines based on solar observations that appear to mark out places of significance in celtic Europe. This is especially powerful (according to Robb) when looking at the locations of tribal capitals (oppida) in Gaul, but extends with modifications across all the regions we would recognise as having la Tene culture. Even more amazingly, this network is increasingly based on Pythagorean geometry and aspects of Aristotelian geographical theory called klimata.
More evidence comes in the shape of Roman roads that are targetted on pre-Roman sites along Robb's solar lines. Usually Robb explicitly states that these lines were conceptual and not actual routes, but it does look like they became roads here and there.
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Robb writes very well and I find the potential of his ideas attractive. They suggest a glimpse of how the minds of (the educated elite of) Gauls thought of the world around them, even to the point that they aid (if correct) our understanding of the Gallic side of the Gallic war. I concieve of Robb's ideas as being like Chinese 'dragon lines' that (sometimes) affect the placement of buildings even today.
But they are also like ley-lines. If you draw lines across the landscape and then look for significant allignments you will certainly find many. Robb's detailed decription of his method certainly invites testing, but I have only just finished the book, so at present the evidence I know of is heavily in Robb's favour. My problems with his book are the idea that such large scale organisation would be respected (across all the tribes in Gaul for starters). Robb leans heavily on the druids for this organisation, which is not unreasonable in Gaul but I don't think there is good enough evidence for the level of Robb's commitment to Druidic influence.
I am also troubled by Robb's unquestioning collation of myths from Greece, Gaul, medieval Ireland and Geoffrey of Monmouth. All old stories yes, but all containing traces of Celtic memonics (triads, mental maps and other aids to memory that might be used in Druidic education)? I really do have trouble with that one. But that is not the only source of Robb's data, so it can be wrong without necessarily undermining the rest.
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Obviously, I cannot present the entire argument Robb makes here. His suggestion that the significance of the sacred geometry (largely Pythagorean) can be found in the compass work behind la Tene art may have a direct application for the artists on the EB team. If anyone else here has read this book I would like to know what they think because it is fascinating.
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