In this area, as in many other aspects of Celtic life, there is discord over the extent and nature of buildings constructed by the Celts. Some say that the Celts were basically nomadic and threw up only the most primitive structures. Others credit them with some monumental achievements. The record suggests that neither of these interpretations is accurate. The Celts built some impressive structures but not monumental ones. Some fortified towns boasted impressive houses laid out in an orderly fashion and enclosed by thick fortified walls. In some cases, the houses even had underground drainage systems.

In many cases, the Celts used wood for their buildings and most of those buildings have disappeared. However, in some regions (Scotland for instance) the circumstances caused them to use stone. Many of these structures still stand and the artifacts found therein certify them as undeniably Celtic.

The structures I find most fascinating are the “crannogs”. A crannog is illustrated below. In essence, the Celts built a crannog in a lake or a bog. They would raft boulders to a site in a lake and sink those boulders until an island was formed. They then sunk pilings and built the structures deemed necessary. They also constructed a drawbridge for ease of access. Presumably, the Celts went to all this trouble to make their homes easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Builders were held in high esteem and considered “professionals”. There were set rates to be charged for various types of construction. Laws also covered things like arson and damage to buildings (if your cow ate someone’s thatched roof for instance you were held liable).