The origin of the Celts remains shrouded in mystery, but what is known is that they spread throughout Europe because of their large scale migrations. Around 900 BC, the Celts began to arrive in the British Isles, where they lived in settlements as artisans and smiths, and mingled with the local people. After 400 BC, because of shortages in food and available land, some Celts migrated to Germany, Austria, and Italy. In 51 BC, Julius Caesar conquered Gaul, where the Celts had settled, and divided it into Roman provinces. This resulted in a gradual mingling of the Roman and Celtic cultures.
The Celts gradually migrated to Transylvania and Dalmatia and intermingled with the native people. They pushed into Greece as far as Delphi, and large groups went as far as Asia Minor. One band settled in Turkey, and named this area Galatia.
The Celts first burst into recorded history in the writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans in about 500 B.C, but they were by then, already a mighty and widespread people.