Clothes and Appearance

The Iron Age Celts' clothes might have looked like the tartan you see in Scotland and Ireland today, with checks and stripes. The Celts used berries and plants to dye the wool different colours.

Not only did the Celts like brightly coloured clothes - the Romans tell us that some of them painted patterns all over their bodies with blue woad made of a special plant.

The Celts' clothes showed their status and importance within the tribe. Men would wear a tunic with a belt, a cloak and trousers. Women wore dresses fastened with brooches.

And if you were an important member of the tribe, you would wear a neck torc of gold, silver or iron, decorated with patterns.

Soldiers

Roman historians say that Celtic soldiers had white spiky hair. They used lime like we use hair mousse today, and sometimes they tied their hair up in a ponytail. Around their necks they wore gold torcs like big necklaces.

The most famous soldiers wore fancy bronze helmets on their head to show how important they were. Often there were model birds, animals or horns on the helmets which made them even more special. They carried huge shields decorated with signs or patterns.



