Question for the Keltoi experts.

[cmacq]

Sorry, not to draw too fine a point, however...

Like others have mentioned, chances are the Veneti in Brittany/Armorica and the Veneti in Northern Italy were two separate groups with separate origins. Best I can tell from what I've read, the Italian bunch were of Italic origin and would have been similar to the Raetians and Ligurians, all of which would later pick up varying degrees of Celtic culture and use it themselves.

As with the Lepontii and Euganei, neither the Raetians nor Ligurians were Italic people. As well it doesn't appear they were Celt and I don't even think they were IEs, although there may have been an IE aspect, of some kind. If one wants to go the IE route with them that brings us round to the Centum, and I may have to go there at some point, but not yet.

However, if something/someone brought forth evidence showing a link between both Veneti groups, would I be suprised? Not at all. Celtic tribes definitely got around thats for sure. For example, the tribal name of the Eburones is found in southern Portugal as well as in northern Belgica, and its quite possible that branches of the Belgic Nervii traveled all the way to northern Iberia where they are known as the Nerviones. Were talking what, 1000 miles/1,400km or thereabouts? Same example applies to other Celtic tribes, especially the Boii and the Volcae, who are found all over Celtic realms to an even greater extent.

Again, most likely not Celt. I can provide one link between the Polish (Baltic) and Italian (Adriatic) Veneti. Amber...

To imagine a link between the Veneti of Northern Italy and the Veneti of Armorica isn't all that fantastic when you consider the chances of names having a common root or sharing a tribal origin, though I believe in this instance the similarities in the name 'Veneti' are simply coincidence and is shared by both Celtic and Italic peoples

If... and that’s a big if; the Veneti people were IE, and if the three major groups were related, then they most likely were an aspect of the LBA Urnfield expression? As with the proto-Celts, -Italics, -Illyrian, -western Balts, and others; this period witnessed the geographical jockeying that got each into their historic settings. However, the Celt ethnogenesis and following expansion occurred later in the EIA (euro). Also the archaeology of all thee Veneti groups do not fit well with the establish perimeters provided for continental Celtic culture.



CmacQ