Celtic shirts
Shirts and tunic-like garments formed part of Gaulish dress. Length and construction varied; describing all shirts as waist-length does not reflect the range of evidence.
The Thorsberg tunic is an important northern European comparison. It illuminates body panels, sleeves and neckline, but is not a tunic excavated from a Gaulish warrior’s burial. Modern patterns must be checked against the original’s preservation, with restored parts identified.
Wool tunic from Thorsberg, northern Germany, Roman Iron Age. A northern European comparison, not a specifically Gaulish find.
Wool tunic from Thorsberg, northern Germany, Roman Iron Age. A northern European comparison, not a specifically Gaulish find.
Modern cutting diagram of the Thorsberg tunic; a reconstruction of the ancient garment, not a separate archaeological find.The Thorsberg example allows study of wool diamond twill, thread direction and edge finishing. Cloth density and thread counts apply to specific measured areas, not a standard for all Celtic shirts.
Weave diagram of the Thorsberg tunic cloth: diamond twill.
Seam diagram of the Thorsberg tunic; a technical illustration of its construction.
Seam diagram of the Thorsberg tunic; a technical illustration of its construction.The warrior statue from Vachères, in the Institut Calvet, Avignon, is Augustan and combines Roman equipment with Celtic features. Its sleeves help establish an outline, but a sculpted line is not always a precise record of a seam.
Diodorus (V.30) mentions coloured Gaulish shirts, trousers and cloaks; this is a literary description, not a sewing manual. Late accounts of Tetricus’ dress likewise cannot be projected onto all pre-Roman Gauls.
Warrior from Vachères wearing mail, Augustan period. Institut Calvet, Avignon. The sculpture shows the outline of clothing beneath the armour.A Gallo-Roman tunic
Clothing from Les Martres-de-Veyre in France comes from a Gallo-Roman burial assemblage. The surviving tunic, belt and stockings are studied together, with attention to excavation and museum history. A broad sleeved tunic does not become a peplos because of its dimensions. It attests dress in Roman Gaul, not one universal pre-Roman costume.
Gallo-Roman tunic from Les Martres-de-Veyre, France, Roman Imperial period; Musée Bargoin collection, Clermont-Ferrand.
Gallo-Roman tunic from Les Martres-de-Veyre, France, Roman Imperial period; Musée Bargoin collection, Clermont-Ferrand.
Gallo-Roman tunic from Les Martres-de-Veyre, France, Roman Imperial period; Musée Bargoin collection, Clermont-Ferrand.Sleeveless shirt
The sleeveless garment from Marx-Etzel serves as a northern European comparison. Cloth edges, openings, seams and find context matter for its interpretation. Resemblance to a modern vest does not establish the wearer’s gender or ethnicity. Versions with and without a shoulder seam should be identified as alternative reconstructions unless the original resolves the question.
Sleeveless garment from Marx-Etzel, northern Germany. A comparative example; its shape alone does not establish the wearer’s gender or ethnicity.
Sleeveless garment from Marx-Etzel, northern Germany. A comparative example; its shape alone does not establish the wearer’s gender or ethnicity.
Sleeveless garment from Marx-Etzel, northern Germany. A comparative example; its shape alone does not establish the wearer’s gender or ethnicity.Related topics
Celts, Ancient textiles, Tunic, Celtic trousers
Literature and sources
- Margrethe Hald. Ancient Danish Textiles from Bogs and Burials. 1980.
- Susan Möller-Wiering. War and Worship: Textiles from 3rd to 4th-century AD Weapon Deposits in Denmark and Northern Germany. 2011.
- Diodorus Siculus, Library of History V.30.
- Institut Calvet: Guerrier de Vachères.
- Catherine Breniquet et al., The Gallo-Roman Textile Collection from Les Martres-de-Veyre, France (2017).
Detail of the wool tunic from Thorsberg, northern Germany, Roman Iron Age.
Detail of the wool tunic from Thorsberg, northern Germany, Roman Iron Age.
Detail of the wool tunic from Thorsberg, northern Germany, Roman Iron Age.
Documentary illustration of the Thorsberg tunic, front and rear views.Interested in Ancient Rome beyond reading? Join Legio X Fretensis or explore our reenactment directions.
