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Funny Face: An Examination of La Tène Artwork its Perception and

Interpretation.

Introduction

In modern academic circles the term “La Tène has become synonymous with the finest

achievements of the style known as early Celtic art” (Finlay, 1973, 42). As a style La Tène art

seems to have originated in the area around the Swiss Lake of Neuchâtel approximately 500 BC

(Megaw & Megaw, 1986, 5) from which it spread and developed rapidly until, in the British

Isles, it reached “a period of remarkable flowering” (Megaw & Megaw, 2001, 206) around 100

BC. By its mid phase La Tène art can be characterised by a “Cheshire Cat ... or Disney” (Meehan,

1993, 73) style, the complexity of which demonstrates clearly the Celtic craftsman’s “command

of abstract art as much, as their playfulness” (Meehan, 1993, 98) for many include visual puns

and hidden imagery, often of animals both naturalistic and mythical (Megaw & Megaw, 1986,

10). Indeed as Finlay writes, the genius of La Tène art is its “living quality of line and mastery of

... form, which can transform a mere personal ornament into an emotive work of art” (Finlay,

1973, 44) whose very nature seems to resist attempts at classification.

As such the aim of this paper will be to focus, not on detailed classifications or the

development of La Tène art styles, considerations of which have filled many a library shelf

(Megaw & Megaw, 1995, 345), but the mystery which La Tène art, and its transforming nature,

still presents to academia at large. Such an undertaking will focus on three case studies, namely

the decoration adorning the scabbards of the Bugthorpe, Lisnacrogher 2 and Toome swords.

However through the medium of a modern population survey, recording both individual

perception and interpretation, the examination of each piece will be approached in a slightly

novel way. The results of such a survey will be used to address issues such as the possibility of

La Tène art creating and or influencing object identities within Iron Age societies, as well as

aiming to shed new light on debates concerning the most significant influences on artistic

interpretation, such as specific training and or education as opposed to innate talent. By

connection it is hoped that such explorations may develop discussions as to whether there were

sections of Iron Age society qualified to discern images and ideas from La Tène designs for

superstitious, spiritual or mystic purposes, or whether such styles are more likely to have been

constructed as fashion statements, in accordance with personal preference and taste.

This paper will form the pilot study for such a survey based methodology and as such a full

understanding of the survey to be used, as well as its unfortunate issues, will have to be firstly

determined in order to ensure that any implications and possible future development is set in

its proper context.

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A Survey of Methodology

Key to this paper is the development of a methodology of survey, aimed at

testing variation in both interpretation and perception of La Tène artwork.

Being mainly non-literate societies (Beresford-Ellis, 1998, 27) Iron Age

perception in any form is notoriously difficult to explore. However by

testing modern population responses to La Tène artwork patterns of

perceptive variation maybe sampled and such data, if used with an

appreciation of its context and in combination with archaeology’s many

alternative avenues of research, may provide the discipline with a

potentially lucrative avenue of inquiry.

Three case study images, dating to approximately the final century

BC of Britain and Ireland, have been chosen for the purpose of this pilot, the

decoration adorning the scabbards of the Bugthorpe, Lisnacrogher 2 and

Toome swords, figures 1,2 and 3, each of which display very stylistic and

possibly shape shifting qualities. Every participant involved was allowed a

maximum of two minutes study for each design example, following which

they were asked to explain any images and or ideas which they could

discern from the pattern work, or couldn’t as they case maybe. For the

purposes of this study positive image identification was recognised if the

participant discovered a face or describable creature, with an additional

category set to record whether a participant gave specific details, such as a

duck or swan as opposed to simply a bird shape. In order to restrict the data

to a manageable pilot quantity identification of features such as the natural

elements, or in-descript floral imagery, were eliminated. It will be the task

of a future, larger study to tackle a more in-depth investigation of the many

facets of hidden imagery which La Tène art can display.

In 2012 the population of Britain was estimated at

62,262,000 (WWW1). Therefore, in order to limit the current surveys

margin of error, or confidence interval, to a figure of 5 a minimum

population sample of 60 participants has been required (WWW2). Such a

sample should ensure not only a widely represented demographic, but also

that a high degree of statistical viability is achieved, enabling a clear idea as

to whether such a method of sampling artistic perception can legitimately

Figure 1 - Bugthorpe Sword Scabbard (Harding, 2007, 108)

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work within an academic archaeological context. While during the

Iron Age larger communities, than had previously existed, developed,

the population was still divided into many community or tribal units

(Burns, 2010, 5), and such populations, while hard to estimate

(Wells, 1995, 88), would have been considerably smaller in

comparison to the modern population. However by using statistically

proportioned sections of the modern populace a reasonably accurate

picture of the degree of variation which can occur, when considering

abstract art, such as the La Tène style, will hopefully become

apparent and appreciable.

The data derived from this survey will also take into account

the general form of training each individual participant has received

within their modern context. Four general categories of occupation,

namely Artistic, Scientific, Practical and Other, have been assigned to

the many and varied jobs that individuals today are employed in.

While the categories are subjective in there classification they will, in

the general form required for this paper, develop and understanding

of the areas and skills which each individual has had experience and

or training in, allowing comparisons to be drawn between the skills

various educations provide and the ability of abstract interpretation.

In essence this preliminary survey has not been designed or

planned to narrowly examine the full ramifications of such an

approach to La Tène artwork, but rather to provide a sample and test

of the method. However, as with any new approach to archaeological

investigation, issues of the methodology must firstly be highlighted

in order to give any results a degree of context and meaning.

Issues and Context

A key issue with developing a method of survey, such as that

proposed by this paper, is quite clearly the increase of possible

modern bias which each participant will arguably introduce. Visual

analysis and perception are key elements of any examination of

archaeological remains, and become “the bedrock on which many

ideas inevitably build their foundation” (Wenger, 1997, 3). However,

Figure 2 – Lisnacrogher 2 Sword Scabbard (Harding, 2007, 114)

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with only a handful of academic personnel involved, modern

influences concerning archaeological interpretation would normally

be reasonably limited, or at the very least specifically definable.

However, as with a modern population, it is very unlikely that every

Iron Age individual would have had the same set of life experiences

or the same process of personality development. Therefore by

recognising that every person is an individual and will interpret an

object or design differently, drawing on their own experiences and

personality, we may arguably see in a modern population similar

patterns of perceptive variation as may have occurred over 2000

years ago. This is not to say that the specific responses given by a

modern population will be the same as those of an Iron Age

community only that the patterns of variation observable maybe.

On the other hand the distinct possibility exists that

interpretation was never a necessity for the Iron Age peoples of

Britain or elsewhere when it came to La Tène ornamentation. Each

piece may have had very specific meanings to any individual brought

up and educated within an Iron Age community. As Megaw points out

to the Aboriginal peoples of the Australian deserts artwork produced

by their elders or shamans have specific cultural meanings which

even today the non-initiated cannot hope to fully grasp (Megaw &

Megaw, 1995, 356). Indeed it was Vincent Megaw who “recognized

the need to set the study of Celtic art in the context of Celtic society”

(Harding, 2007, 3) if any comprehensive understanding is ever to be

achieved.

Despite this only minimal context will be given to each

example of La Tène art here used, for within the framework of this

methodology pilot each will function as a representative of mature La

Tène art rather than individual pieces in their own right. This

minimisation of context, an element of any artefact which is

unquestionably a key factor in interpretation, will only be done to

focus participants specifically on interpreting the pattern work

presented to them. It is true as Giles writes that “we cannot wrest art

away from the objects of which it was an integral part, nor can we

Figure 3 – Toome Sword Scabbard (Harding, 2007, 114)

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divorce it from the context in which such objects were used” (Giles, 2008, 59). However it is

hoped that such a minimisation of context will prevent, as far as possible, the overlaying of

specific modern values, such as connotations carried by swords and weaponry, and allows

participants to freely examine the designs presented, in order to give as unbiased and natural

responses as possible. Indeed as Giles continues by “placing emphasis upon the effect of an

object shifts the focus of archaeological enquiry from typology to phenomenology: the

experience of encountering these artefacts and their impact on the sense of sight, sound and

touch” (Giles, 2008, 59) elements of inquiry that this methodology will strive to aid.

Yet crucially, as McAlister points out, it is difficult to believe that one community,

particularly one separated by so much time and cultural development, will ever understand the

inner workings of another. An example of the opaqueness of meaning which can often surround

supposedly artistic pieces produced by various cultures can be found in the example of the

Haitian sorcerer’s bottle, a bottle which in Haitian culture is not just “an artistic creation but ... a

magic work” (McAlister, 1995, 306). As McAlister writes the bottle itself is a “visually coded

object of great aesthetic sophistication and so on one hand it is art” (McAlister, 1995, 306)

which appeals to many, yet when the meaning conveyed on the bottle is understood it

transforms into a completely new entity, for each bottle is constructed to contain a living spirit

(McAlister, 1995, 312) and as such the bottle is of greater meaning to its creators than purely an

ornamental object.

However attempting to understand past societies is exactly what archaeology strives to

achieve. In the case of the La Tène art style, which spread so quickly throughout Europe and was

used by so many communities of the so called Celtic peoples, variation in the styles perception

and interpretation is almost certain to have existed. Similarly there is “some evidence that the

general estimation of what constitutes quality ... is trans-cultural” (Megaw & Megaw, 1995, 345).

As such through the investigation of modern reactions to La Tène artwork, interpretation

maybe tentatively furthered when we consider academic inquires such as the prominence of

education within Iron Age society as well as its influence and necessity in relation to the

interpretation of La Tène artwork.

Trained Interpretation

Through patterns of perspective variation the effect which training and education may have on

an individual’s ability to confidently discern images and or ideas within abstract designs maybe

observed. As such, in combination with classical and alternative archaeological sources,

questions as to prominence and importance of training and education within the Iron Age when

considering La Tène artwork maybe tentatively examined via modern population surveys.

~ 6 ~

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

One Two Three None

The Effect of Training and Education on Abstract Interpretation.

Art

Science

Pracitcal

Other

No classical picture of the Iron Age would be complete without the Merlin like druid, an

individual invested with social power and influence, a professional class which encompassed

occupations such as “judges, doctors, historians ... and astrologers as well as priestly orders who

mediated with deities” (Beresford-Ellis, 1998, 55). Similarly Celtic or La Tène artwork is itself

“elusive ... shape changing ... often abstract ... symbolic and non narrative” (Megaw, 1995, 345),

an art form which was most likely “deeply embedded in the context of economic, social,

intellectual and religious life” (Megaw, 1995, 345). Indeed an art form which may very likely

have been intimately connected with a professional class, its meaning and significance

controlled by their interpretation. It would stand to reason, if La Tène art was as important to

everyday life as Megaw believes, that there would have existed recognised individuals, such as

the classical druids, trained in skills which would not only have invested them with socially

approved authority, with regards to abstract designs, but would also have enabled them to

better perceive images and ideas within such ornamentation. Furthermore, as Karl has

translated, Caesar observed that, tempted by the many advantages of the druidic life, individuals

would spend “as many as 20 years in training” (Karl, 2005, 256), arguing that if such abstract

patterns as La Tène art did have underlying meaning they were in need of very skilled, trained

interpretation.

Training and specialised education, socially structured and recognised, maybe argued

to have been a phenomenon of increasing popularity and importance throughout the Iron Age.

Classical sources hint that specialist training centres did exist, within Iron Age Europe, such as

those which, according to Morse, were centred in Britain dedicated to training individuals

Figure 4 – A comparison of interpretational ability based upon general areas of training

~ 7 ~

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Yes No

Survey Participants Ability to Discern Images in Three La Tene Art Exsamples

Bugthorpe

Lisnacrogher 2

Toome

wishful of following a druidic way of life (Morse, 2005, 35). Similarly fosterage seems to have

been a key element of training and education, particularly were children of the higher classes

were concerned (Karl, 2005, 259). It seems that the norm, as Karl argues, was for a son to

follow the occupational footsteps of his farther, each child being inducted into their future

profession early in order to receive “some basic training at home” (Karl, 2005, 259) before

being “sent off at a young age to learn skills unknown” to the farther (Karl, 2005, 259).

Such specific education is likely to have influenced the ability of individuals to interpret

abstract art in different respects, and therefore if we consider the results of modern perception

studies arguments for specialised training and education maybe taken a step further.

Education and the skill sets developed by specific training may indeed have been a key

influence on the ability of Iron Age individuals to confidently interpret images and or ideas from

such abstract designs, as those portrayed by La Tène art. As Gosden writes, “we are used to the

thought that to become a competent artist requires training and practice. We are less aware that

our senses need educating not just in the skills of perception but in the skills of attaching value

to the things we perceive” (Gosden, 2004, 43). As we can see from figures 5 and 6 there are

distinct differences in the modern population’s ability to definitely identify and attach specific

meaning to images discerned from La Tène art examples. As the figures demonstrate the

majority of survey participants could only identify basic information from the La Tène

examples, such as a face or vague animal shape, however others could not only discern

particular images but also describe them, often in very specific detail, such as “a barn owl with

Figure 5 – Participant ability to discern a basic image/ idea from La Tene art exsamples

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Yes No

Specific Identification of Images within Three La Tene Exsamples

Bugthorpe

Lisnacrogher 2

Toome

raised suspicious eyes”, or interestingly Bart Simpson.

Furthermore figure 4 demonstrates the patterns of perception dominant within a

modern context, when specific analysis of La Tène designs are compared with general areas of

training and education. It would seem that those who become most skilled at decoding images

and ideas from abstract art are those whose education facilitates the development of a varied

skill set along with flexibility of skill application. As figure 4 demonstrates the individuals in a

modern context who seem to most consistently be able to interpret abstract designs were those

trained in skill sets which do not neatly conform to one general category, here defined as Other.

As has already been discussed it was Caesars impression that the Iron Age druidic

class’s preformed all manner of occupations within Iron Age societies, occupations which would

likely have encompassed a range of skill sets, the mastery of which took years of education.

Similarly it has been suggested by Joy that the Celtic metal-smith, talented as they so clearly

were in the execution of fine ornamentation, may not have been clear, or even marginally

enlightened, of the meaning afforded to the designs which he or she inscribed (Joy, 2010, 38)

purely copying the patterns compiled by others. If we follow this train of thought Doran

demonstrates that not only were abstract art forms such as the La Tène style artistically

creative and ingenious, they also required a highly developed mathematical knowledge (Doran,

1995, 258). Indeed many were created using the accurate and intricate use of a compass (Frey &

Megaw, 1976, 51). As such the idea that there were particular, highly trained individuals, within

Iron Age society, whose role incorporated both the design and interpretation of such visually

Figure 6 – The ability to specifically identify an image/ idea with detailed discription

~ 9 ~

pensive ornaments, is highly likely.

However the results derived from modern perception surveys do through up some

interesting contradictions. If the comments expressed by particular individuals are examined an

argument may be made that for some an innate talent of perceptive ability, championed any

training they could have or did receive. One survey participant demonstrated such a

phenomenon aptly. The individual was above the age of 60 and had worked practical jobs for

the entirety of his life. As figure 4 demonstrates those practically minding whilst sometimes

specific in their interpretation of a singular design are not consistently innovative when it

comes to abstract interpretation. However the afore mentioned participant demonstrated an

almost unparalleled ability to not only distinguish images in each of the three patterns but also

to specifically describe the images and ideas he perceived. Such an individual naturally skilled at

interpreting the abstract designs used by La Tène ornamentation maybe employed to argue that

La Tène designs only contained power of enlightenment for those who could naturally form a

connection with them, and that no form of training was required in their interpretation. Such

ideas are interesting but essentially subjective, in all likelihood, as demonstrated by the survey

data, classical sources and previous archaeological investigation there were most likely classes

of educated individuals within Iron Age society who were responsible for the designing and

interpretation of abstract artwork such as the La Tène style.

Object Identity and its Relationship with Individuals

Similarly modern survey data may be used to say a great deal when we consider the possibility

of prehistoric object identity and biography. The idea that, like humans, objects can cultivate life

histories and identities was first put forward by the anthropologist Igor Kopytoff (Joy, 2010, 8),

a theory which has sparked in archaeology several decades of debate as to how objects were

seen and how they were perceived within their native cultures. Artefacts, such as the swords

and scabbards exampled within this paper, would, in all likelihood, have never been objects

destined to be relegated to the social sphere of a prop, but rather instruments fundamental in

their own right to the play of human inter-action (Gosden & Marshall, 1999, 169). Indeed by the

time of the Iron Age “the sword had evolved into an efficient instrument of war and the

decoration bestowed on it, as on the axes, shows that it was looked upon as much more than a

fighting tool: it was a symbol of prowess maybe of authority” (Finlay, 1973, 21) and quite likely

invested with its own individuality. Children today are still taught the story of great sword

Excalibur given to King Arthur by the Lady of the Lake. Such a sword, invested with its own

name and self history would arguably have been recognised as an individual by the community

of which it was apart. Through the medium of abstract ornamentation, such as that

demonstrated by the La Tène style, objects such as the sword examples given here, may have

~ 10 ~

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1

A Comparison of Participants Basic Ability to Discern Images

One Image

Two Images

Three Images

None

been bestowed with an individually of character in a very similar way. Such a phenomenon may

have been still further emphasised by the arguable ability of such decoration to directly interact

with individuals through the varied reactions such artwork can conjure, a possibility which the

methodology piloted by this paper may help to explore further.

If we consider figure 5 the results of the modern context survey demonstrate that, on a

basic level, there is clearly distinct variation in the modern population’s ability to directly

interpret images and ideas from each of the design examples given. From the data it would seem

that the Bugthorpe example proved distinctly more accessible to interpretation than its fellows,

with participants consistently identifying bird or fish like shapes within the pattern. It would

make sense that if each sword ornamented with La Tène designs were bestowed with a

distinctly individual identity, as with human personalities, some would have been thought of as

more complex or less sociable than others. This is not to say that the design exhibited by the

Bugthorpe example was more accessible to Iron Age societies than the design included on the

Lisnacrogher 2, but that such patterns of interpretive variation as seen today, would most likely

have existed 2000 years ago if each sword or ornamented object was considered an individual,

reflecting the same variation of personality seen in living individuals.

Similarly if figure 6 is considered such an argument maybe furthered still for, as

demonstrated, fewer participants of the modern survey were able to confidently identify

specific images within the design examples. This second graph demonstrates that of those who

believed that they could discern an image from a design only a few could with any definition,

identifying not just a bird shape but describing the shape as a specific type of bird such as a duck

or a swan, even as detailed as a barn owl. Furthermore if figures 7 and 8 are examined distinct

Figure 7 – A comparison of participant’s ability to discern basic imagery within all three designs

~ 11 ~

0

5

10

15

20

25

1

A Comparison of the Participants Specific Ability to Discern Images

One Image

Two Images

Three Images

None

trends can be identified that particular designs of La Tène ornamentation seem to appeal to or

inspire some individuals more than others. In particular figure 8 highlights that very few

individuals could specifically interpret images from all three of the scabbard examples and a

recurrent theme prevailed that individuals were drawn into one, or sometimes two, designs, in

some cases with very strong reactions. Indeed one participant wrote that he defiantly did not

like a particular example as for him it inspired a feeling of distinct unbalance. However the same

image inspired another participant to confidently state that she saw turtles swimming through

the design. It maybe that just as humans react differently to particular individuals and construct

varying relationships with them, each object singled out by ornamentation and cultural

perception may have been given the same abilities of social inter-action.

As such if we take into account the degree of interpretive variation within the modern

context the abstract qualities of the La Tène art style would most likely have been particularly

conducive to the creation of object identities during the Iron Age. Indeed it would seem

distinctly unlikely, unless each piece had a very clear social message to convey, which was

culturally understood, that each individual within an Iron Age community would have

interpreted abstract ornamentation the same way. It maybe that such a decorative style as La

Tène art was in reality nothing more than a widely spread fashion choice, however as Joy writes

“the decision to decorate an artefact can affect its life history marking it out from undecorated

artefacts of the same type” (Joy, 2011, 205) and therefore it is highly likely that the decorated

artefacts of the final few centuries BC were intimately tied up with cultural and individual

identities, perhaps even exhibiting their own. Though as Lewis-Williams writes it is unlikely

Figure 8 – A comparison of the participants ability to disern specific images in all three exsamples

~ 12 ~

that we will ever conclusively prove an answer for the mystery that is La Tène ornamentation

“without some guidance from its makers” (Lewis-Williams, 1986, 172) as with earlier

anthropological research, investigation into the natural perception of La Tène ornamentation

today, may produce some very interesting results and further many arguments as to the nature

and role of these enigmatic designs.

Future Extensions and Implications

This paper has only ever attempted to trial the idea and method of using survey data in an

archaeological research capacity, and as such there are still further, and possibly more fruitful,

avenues of investigation to consider. Such a method seems to lend itself very well to testing the

practical function of La Tène artwork, and as such its future application maybe employed in

such considerations as the effect of physical obstructions, such as distance. One of the key issues

of this paper has been the inability to adequately address the fact that La Tène styles of

ornamentation are most often included on singular and personal objects, such as the example

sword scabbards and the classic Iron Age mirrors. As Spratling writes when considering such

ornamentation “viewing distance is crucial to the aesthetic experience ... stand too far off and we

see little, come to close and the images dissolve into technical detail” (Spratling, 2008, 192). As

Gosden points out decoration is a distinct method of display, a phenomenon which “in the

prehistoric may have been an unusual and powerful social force” (Gosden, 2004, 40), a force

meant for some degree of public acknowledgement. By applying the method of survey set out in

this paper the perceptions discerned from La Tène art at distance can be tested and

interpretation can explore questions such as significance such ornamentation held for the

individuals who were closely associated with ornamented objects, as well as the objects place

within the wider scheme of society.

Similarly such a method of survey could be a great step forward in the study of La Tène

artwork through its potential to test the effect that movement would have had on the designs

adorning so many Iron Age objects. If a sword and scabbard were worn at its wielders hip, as

they undoubtedly were, even at a standstill or casual walking pace the natural movement and

sway of the person would have resulted in movement to the sword and therefore the

ornamentation. Many who have participated in this pilot survey have already commented that

movement was a key part of the way that they perceived the art and how they reacted to it. By

twisting and moving the images many participants argued that the design morphed from one

image into another “fish shapes transforming into bird heads” or “whales appeared when the

image was landscape”. Such qualities of La Tène art have already been observed by academics

such as Megaw and Megaw (Megaw & Megaw, 1986, 10), and as Finlay writes La Tène art

~ 13 ~

patterns have a “restless feeling” (Finlay, 1973, 26) to them. As such further investigation as to

how the simple act of movement in La Tène ornamentation could have effected its perception

may develop a much greater understanding as to why it grabbed the imagination of such a wide

geographical and cultural range of peoples during the Iron Age.

Conclusions

As detailed above, this paper has aimed to pilot the use of survey data in the testing of

perception and individual interpretation of La Tène artwork. It has striven to demonstrate that

by collectively studying and taking our own perceptions into account a greater understanding of

the significance of La Tène ornamentation, and the ways in which it may have been used and

perceived, can be developed. Indeed as demonstrated above it would seem that when such

survey data, is taken in proper context and with a full appreciation of the restrictions involved,

it can greatly improve our understanding of how varied one community’s interpretation of

decoration can be. As Lewis-Williams writes no art communicates directly, “without a verbal

commentary of some sought it is impossible to know the meaning intended ... even in one’s own

culture” (Lewis-Williams 1986, 171). However alone, or in combination with classical and

archaeological sources, modern survey data looking at patterns of perception may prove

significant in the study of La Tène artwork, as highlighted by the case studies of object identify

and Iron Age training and education. As Megaw writes, “however ambiguous Celtic art is, it is

one of the few certain, if obscure, windows on the Celtic spirit” (Megaw & Megaw, 1986, 10) and

as such the development of this proposed method of examining La Tène designs may in the

future significantly add to academic debates concerning Iron Age society.

~ 14 ~

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WWW1 – www.worldpopulationreview.com – Statistics Received from UK Office of National

Statistics (Accessed 29/04/13)

WWW2 - www.surveysystem.com (Accessed 29/04/13)