Nubia and the Celts - Chapter 2

     Nubia, called Kush by the Egyptians, was the 1,000 mile stretch of Nile Valley that became the only continuously inhabited territory to connect the North and South of Africa.
     Egyptian rulers sought to dominate Nubia for its gold, resulting in the rise of civilizations in the area. Nubia was always influenced by Egypt and its practices.
     The Kingdom of Meroe (800 - 350 BCE) rose after Egyptian power began to decline. In fact, Nubian kings sometimes ruled Egypt during this period. In 701 BCE, Nubians offered aid to Assyrian-occupied Palestine, but the Assyrians invaded Egypt and drove the Nubians south. Due to this invasion, Nubia moved the capital to Meroe in Southern Egypt.
     Women played an important role in Nubian society, even ruling on their own. Meroe itself was a huge city, the center of agriculture and trade for Nubia. Nubia collapsed in the fourth century CE due to nomad raiders and shifting trade routes. 
     
     The Celts of Central Europe originated near the Rhine in Germany and migrated outwards. They built large hill forts for defense, and lived near them in smaller cities. They were not a nation, but rather a group linked by family ties. Surviving accounts describe them as warriors who were courageous and quick witted but fond of bragging and fighting.     Celtic society was divided into warriors, priests (called Druids - these guys were important in keeping peace) and commoners. Women were portrayed as clever and of higher value than in Greece or Rome.
     Halloween and May Day preserve Celtic holidays, which reflected key points in the agricultural cycle. The Celts worshiped in natural areas and their legends were readily passed down.
     Roman invasion in the first and second centuries CE, along with German invasion in the third, stopped Celtic evolution and pushed their civilization back to the British Isles, the main area that we associate them with today.