This research project explores the cultural, economic, and environmental interactions between La Tène and non-La Tène (Jastorf/Przeworsk-type) societies in Central Europe during the Middle and Late Pre-Roman Iron Age.
While the La Tène culture is often associated with dynamic migration and rich material traditions linked to the Celtic world, northern communities developed distinct models of economy, mobility, and land use. This project examines the archaeological record to understand how these populations interacted, coexisted, and shaped the Iron Age landscape north of the Carpathians and Sudetes.
By combining traditional archaeological methods with scientific analyses—such as organic residue analysis, archaeobotany, and use-wear studies—we aim to shed light on how people lived, what they ate, and how they organized their settlements and daily life in a changing and interconnected world.
Follow this project for ongoing updates, expert interviews, and accessible articles exploring how Northern European contact zones connected communities through exchange, adaptation, and innovation.
The project is hosted at Charles University in Prague and funded by the
Czech Science Foundation (GAČR, project no. 25-15914I).
It involves close collaboration with partner institutions across Central Europe.
The project “Between the Celts and the Northern People”, funded by the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR), explores the interaction zones between two major cultural worlds of the Iron Age: the La Tène (Celtic) and the northern Jastorf/Przeworsk spheres. After the collapse of the Hallstatt centres north of the Carpathians, new groups from the south reintroduced… Read more: Introducing our team — Between the Celts and the Northern People
What did people eat in Silesia two thousand years ago? Answering this question takes us far beyond the visible artefacts. Together with specialists, we are applying a series of bioarchaeological methods to reveal traces of ancient food and farming. One of these is lipid residue analysis — a chemical method that extracts microscopic fats preserved… Read more: What Iron Age people ate — from potsherds to proteins
We are pleased to invite you to an online lecture by Dr Joanna Ewa Markiewicz, Principal Investigator of the project Between the Celts and the Northern People: Interactions between the Middle and Late La Tène Societies in Central Europe (Charles University, Prague). ? 6 November 2025 (Thursday), 19:00 CET? Online lecture via Zoom Her talk,… Read more: Casting light on cast metals – lecture in Prague
This week we’re in Poznań for the 20th edition of “Archaeology of the Barbarians: Migrations – Trade – Expeditions. Mobility in the European Barbaricum.” The meeting runs 22–25 October 2025 at the Archaeological Museum in Poznań (Wodna 27) and is a closed event for registered participants. Why this conference matters “Barbaricum” — lands beyond the… Read more: We’re taking our poster to Poznań: 20th Protohistoric Conference “Archaeology of the Barbarians”
This autumn brings a series of events and research visits that will help us connect our results with the wider academic discussion. These trips are not just about photographing artefacts. They allow us to compare how different institutions documented Iron Age materials and to identify unpublished or misinterpreted finds. Many artefacts discovered decades ago still… Read more: Autumn full of conferences and collections
