 The Celtic tribes of Gaul dominated north-western Europe for centuries, with associated Celtic groups settling as Far East as Turkey. Yet who were the Gauls? Where did they come from? And how did it all end? Put simply, Gaul was both a geographical region and a name given to a range of Celtic tribes who inhabited this region or whoever originally from this region. These tribes and groups shared certain racial, linguistic and cultural traits. They largely spoke the Gaulish Celtic language for instance, or a language connected to Gaulish. In their language, many of these tribes mostly referred to themselves as Celts, as Gaul was the name given by Rome to this people and this region. In relation to the origins of the Gauls, there is no definitive answer. They are thought to have grown out of the ancient Hallstatt culture of western and central Europe, where many proto-Celtic tribes lived. In around the 5th century BC, after increasing contact with the Greeks and the Truscans, the Hallstatt culture began to transform into the Latin culture. The Latin style in art was distinct by its use of curved lines, swirls, spirals and it was associated with the Celts for centuries. If we turn our attention to where Gaul was located, the simplest answer to this question is a broad range of north-western European territory centred on the majority of modern-day France. In addition to France, Gaul also encompassed Holland, Belgium, parts of northern Italy, Germany, west of the Ring and most of Switzerland. Celtic people who had connections to Gaul also inhabited areas of modern Britain and Ireland, and parts of the Balkan region stretching all the way east to Galatia and modern Turkey. Although the Celts inhabited much of modern-day France, there were some notable exceptions. In 600 BC, the Greeks had established an important trading hub in southern Gaul on the Mediterranean coast in the ancient city of Malaysia, which is present-day Marseille. Although the historical records are limited from the perspective of the Gauls themselves, and much of what we know comes from potentially biased Roman sources, we do know various aspects of who these Celtic people were. Firstly, the Gauls were known to be fierce warriors. Strabo, the ancient Greek historian and geographer, described the whole race as being brave and madly keen on war. He added that they were impetuous and easily outwitted. Recent research indicates that the gruesome depictions of the Gauls cutting off their enemies' heads and bamming them in pine resin, entangling them around the necks of their horses as an intimidation tactic are probably true. Secondly, the Gauls loved wine, as the Greek historian Deodorus Sicilis wrote, Many Italian merchants, with their usual love of liqueur, look on the Gaulic love of wine as their treasure trove. Thirdly, the Druids held significant influence in Celtic society, although I will address the question of who the Druids were in more detail in a future video. The Druids were a privileged class that played a religious, legal and educational role in ancient Celtic civilization. Famously, they were known to practice animal and human sacrifice. Additionally, the Druids organized and officiated many Celtic seasonal festivals, which were usually inspired by important dates in the lunar solar calendar. Fourthly, Gaul was home to a clan system. Finally, the Celtic tribes of ancient Gauls practiced many forms of spiritualism and worshipped various gods. The Gauls seemed to practice a form of animism, where they gave natural forces, such as lakes and mountains, and almost religious significance. Animals were also considered sacred, and it is thought that the board was considered the most sacred animal amongst the Gauls. In relation to the gods that were worshipped, the Celtic god Tutatis, meaning god of the people, is one little example, thought to be a sort of Celtic equivalent of the Roman god Mercury, the god of commerce and luck, amongst other things. Two other gods that the Celts worshipped were Asus, meaning lord, and Tyrannus, meaning thunderer. Between 58 and 50 BC, Gaul was conquered by Julius Caesar. The divisions and lack of unity amongst the Celtic tribes was one of the main reasons why Rome managed to conquer Gaul. There were only brief periods of unification amongst the tribes, such as when Vercingetorix, the king of the Arvini tribe, managed to unify much of the Gaulic tribes and revolt against Rome, although this proved too late and was ultimately unsuccessful. After conquest by Rome, much of Gaul gradually adopted more Roman culture, with only brief moments of rebellion. Assimilation into the Roman Empire was further aided during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius, who reigned from 41 to 54 BC, who made Gauls eligible for seats in the Roman Senate and appointed them to governing posts in Gaul. This was compounded in 212 AD, when Roman citizenship was granted to all. Elements of Gaulic independence did not completely disappear, however. For instance, between 260 and 274 AD, a short-lived Gaulic Empire was formed in response to instability in Rome. Rome's control over Gaul finally came to an end in the 5th and 6th century AD, when the Visigoths, the Burgundians and the Franks conquered most of Gaul, with the Meruvingian dynasty of the Franks going on to rule much of Gaul for a few centuries. Celtic culture still persisted throughout this upheaval though, as the Gaulic language is thought to have still been spoken in parts of ancient France, as late as the 6th century AD.