The first people in Britain

▫ Stone Age
▫ Hunting: made weapons of wood and stone, bows and arrows, hand-axes to kill animals
▫ Fishing: used harpoons and hooks made of bone
▫ Last part: New Stone Age (4000 BC)
▫ New group of people came to Britain
▫ farmers
▫ Brought sheep, goats and cattle
▫ Corn to sow
▫ First job: clear some trees to plant (stone axes)
▫ Lived on the hills, in small wooden huts with thatched roofs

Stonehenge and its Mysteries

▫ Salisbury Plain
▫ People left behind their strangest monument: Stonehenge
▫ farmers
▫ Over 4000 years ago, it began like ditch and bank
▫ We’re not sure who and why people built this
▫ Inside the earth bank is a ring of 56 holes with human bones
▫ Inside the rings: two rings of bluestones
▫ Were taken down and the holes filled in
▫ Bluestones were formed into a circle inside the sarcens, other into a horseshoe shape
▫ Bluestones came from South Wales
▫ On top of the sarcens are fitted stones known as lintels
▫ It became a kind of temple, people understood about sun and moon movements
▫ Midsummer day, the sun can be seen to rise over a special stone (heelstone)
▫ Midwinter day, sun shines through the gap between two upright stones

People begin using Iron

▫ Iron Age
▫ People begun to use metal to make weapons
▫ First, used copper then they added tin to make bronze
▫ First iron tools appear in 700 BC
▫ First people used it: Celts
▫ Celts came from European mainland
▫ Tall and fair, blue eyes, long hair
▫ Men: long moustaches, farmers, wore tight-fitting trousers
▫ Women: wore jewellery and make up from berries and herbs, making clothes or weaving
cloth (brightly-coloured clothes)
▫ Women would be grinding corn or making bread
▫ Iron axes cut down bigger trees, iron tools made building easier and improved farming
▫ Still lived in hut made of wattle and daub
▫ Main food: bread, beef
▫ Each tribe had its own leader

Living in the Iron Age

▫ 12 adults and 3 children spent a whole year finding out what life in the iron age was like
 ▫ A village was built for them
▫ 2000 years ago
▫ They found the life very hard
▫ Experts told them how to do basic jobs
▫ Chickens, pigs, cows, geese and goats
▫ Goat's milk used to make cheese (flavoured with herbs)
▫ Bread was their main food
▫ They ground wheat to make flour (using a stone quern to grind the corn)
▫ 1. hot water and salt to make the dough 2. kneaded it 3. baked in an oven
▫ Breakfast was cooked overnight
▫ There was no sugar, they used honey
▫ No toothbrushes, used twigs
▫ No soap powder, no shampoos
▫ Children still had to have school lesson

Rome shall be the Capital of the World

▫ Romans conquered Europe and part of north Africa

▫ Rich people lived in palaces or large houses (stone floors and paintings on the walls)
▫ Arches and monuments reminded romans of their city’s great achievements
▫ Busy and bustling city
▫ Shops were small but buildings were huge
▫ Free public baths, large rooms for relax and gossip
▫ theatres and arenas to watch contests between wild animals or fighters (gladiators)
▫ Chariot races at the race-track
▫ Water in the house (had lavatory and drains)
▫ Some had central heating
▫ Rich children went to the school (they learn how to read, write and boys fight)
▫ Poor people: lived in dirty, unhealthy blocks of flat
▫ No street lighting

The romans arrive in Britain

▫ 55 BC roman army was fighting in Gaul

▫ Roman leader: Julius Caesar
▫ In august: gathered 12.000 men and set sail for Britain
▫ The Britons were waiting for the romans
▫ Used javelins and stones
▫ The standard-bearer of the 10th Legion saved the day.
▫ Wasn't Cesar greatest victory.
▫ His cavalry had to back to Gaul in winter because the storm
▫ Next year 54BC, Cesar was back and brought with 30.000 men
▫ Roman soldiers marched and forced de British tribes to make peace
▫ For over 90 years the romans armies left Britain alone
▫ Roman emperors made plans to conquer Britain in 43 AD
▫ New emperor Claudius, sent a force of 40.000 men

Attacking a Hill Fort

▫ Ancient forts are common in southern England

 ▫ An Iron Age tribe could come to safety
▫ If the roman were to conquer Britain, they would attack it
▫ One of the four legions which landed in AD 43 was the 2nd Legion
▫ Commanded by general Vespasian
▫ His job was to conquer the south and west of the country
▫ He had to attack 20 of these hill forts
▫ One of the largest was Maiden castle in Dorset
▫ Built with three large earth banks: ramparts
▫ Britons lived there
▫ Ramparts: steeps which make difficult to attack
▫ Capturing Maiden Castle meant a fierce battle
▫ The Durotriges was defending it
▫ When other tribes made peace with the romans, the Durotriges fought on
▫ It was their main hill fort and Vespasian had to destroy it
▫ Vespasian attacked the East gate
▫ Dorchester: city where the Britons move on
▫ Vespasian fought 30 battles, returned to Roman, then he became emperor

The roman army

▫ Roman soldiers attacked Maiden Castle

▫ Roman army: legionaries and auxiliaries
▫ Auxiliaries were archers or cavalry, first to fight
▫ Each group of 80 was under the control of a centurion
▫ Centurions: real leaders of roman army
▫ Thet carried a vine-staff as a sing of his power
▫ Men spent their time in their barracks, doing repairs and cleaning up
▫ Soldiers went everywhere on foot
▫ Training was hard, wearing full armour

The Druids

▫ The romans had no intention of becoming friendly with the druids

▫ Were iron age priest whom the Britons feared and respected
▫ Teachers
▫ They could foretell the future
▫ A man takes up 20 years to become a druid
▫ Romans hate them because the druids sacrified human
▫ 54 AD Emperor Claudius banned them
▫ AD 60 new British governor decided to attack the druid centre on Anglesey
▫

A queen called Boudica

▫ AD 60 new revolt by the romans

▫ Iceni tribe who lives in east Anglia
▫ Leader is a woman of 40, queen of Iceni
▫ First woman in British history: Boudica
▫ Romans' governor: Suetonius
▫ He was in Anglesey
 ▫ The rebels fought and destroyed the 9th legion

Keeping out the Picts

▫ The 9th legion had been beaten by Boudica army

▫ It was based at York
▫ AD 122, it left Britain
▫ Its place was taken by the 6th legion in about Ad122
▫ Emperor Hadrian’s idea: build a huge wall across the country
▫ It was to keep the Picts out of roman Britain
▫

The romans build roads

▫ Romans need to move to control the Britons

▫ Roman surveyors used an instrument called a groma
▫ Groma: pair of boards fastened together into a cross shape
▫ The groma was used to make sure the road was straight
▫ Good roads meant more trade
▫ More trade meant more taxes for the emperor

The romans build towns

▫ Towns made it easier to control the Britons

▫ The romans moved some tribes down and into new towns like St. Albans
▫ They conquered Spain and Gaul
▫ Roman towns were small by modern standards
▫ Roman towns were built around army bases: Colchester
▫ Colchester was the centre of the British tribe
▫ The legion moved out AD 49
▫ The town council made up a plan for the ex-soldiers can make their home
▫ A wall of wood or stones was built around the town to protect it
▫ Traffic goes through large gateways
▫ In the middle of each roman town was a big open space: forum
▫ Forum: important buildings, centre of the town

The romans leave

▫ The romans ruled Britain for over 350 years

▫ AD 250 the romans began to have problems keeping Britain safe
▫ Despite Hadrian’s wall
▫ The Picts carried out raids
▫ The Scots lived in Ireland
▫ Angles and Saxons come from the North Sea to destroy and steal
▫ Romans built huge forts along the south and east coasts
▫ By the end of the 4th century, the soldiers were barbarians, not romans
▫ December Ad 406, Barbarians walked across the River Rhine into Gaul
▫ 407 AD army Britain chose a new leader: Constantine
▫ AD 410 Rome itself was attacked
▫ Emperor Honorius in Rome

And Anglo-Saxons arrive

 ▫ These people were from Europe
▫ Tribes called Angles and Saxons
▫ They were coming to conquer and stay
▫ Romans called them Barbarians
▫ They can’t write or read but they produce poems and art
▫ Farming folk
▫ Were warriors and most of the time they won the fights
▫ By AD 650 the Anglo-Saxons controlled most of England

Saxon villages

▫ First job: built their homes

▫ 2nd: produce food
▫ Some of the villagers were known as ‘freemen’
▫ Two missing things: iron and salt

King Arthur: Is it history or just a Story

▫ He became a major figure in 12th century

▫ AD 480 at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall
▫ Arthur’s mother was the wife of the Duke of Cornwall
▫ His father was Uther Pendragon, king of the Britons
▫ Arthur was 15 when he became king
▫ His special sword: Caliburn
▫ He married with Guinevere
▫ He decided to invade Europe
▫ 1. Norway (Denmark and Gaul)
▫ While he was away his nephew (Mordered) tried to take the throne and his queen
▫ Arthur was back and met Mordered at Camblam battle
▫ Mordred died and Arthur was wounded
▫ Carried him to the Isle of Avalon
▫ Camelot was Arthur’s castle
▫ In 1191 the monks at Glastonbury were rebuilding their monastery

Saxons and the Christian religion

▫ The Anglo-Saxons were pagans and brought their own religion

▫ Their chief god: Woden
▫ They believed in giants, dragons and other strange creatures
▫ Which lived in wild and lonely places
▫ Dragons had great heads on long necks, yellow faces and filthy beards
▫ December 21st the Saxons celebrated the shortest day of the year
▫ In Europe, the pagans celebrate Yule’s festival
▫ The Christians believe in Jesus Christ
▫ AD 440 Christian Church decided a date for Jesus' birth
▫ December 25th
▫ AD 432 St Patrick set out for Ireland
▫ In turn (AD 563) monks set off from Ireland on a Northway journey
▫ Their leader was an Irish prince: Columba
▫ Monks lived in stone rooms: cells
 ▫ Saxon king: Oswald

The Vikings are coming

▫ AD 793 Viking attacked Lindisfarne

▫ 794 Viking attacked Jarrow, where Bede had lived
▫ 851 attacked south of England, including London
▫ 866 huge numbers of Vikings came
▫ Monks hated the Vikings for destroying churches
▫ Vikings lived in Norway, Denmark and Sweden
▫ Their attacks came in summer months
▫

A king and a Legend- Alfred the Great

▫ King of Wessex (871-899)

▫ 1. Alfred king of the Anglo-Saxons
▫ Born in Wantage
▫ 2. His mother Osburh, very religious
▫ 22. He was loved
▫ He learnt to read at 12 yo
▫ 23. His mother show them a book of Saxon poetry
▫ He spent his life defending Wessex of the Vikings
▫ # England was shared between Alfred and the Vikings
▫ # The Vikings were from Denmark so their area was ‘Danelaw’
▫ Vikings obey the Danes’ law
▫ In 870 Vikings began to attack Wessex
▫ Alfred’s brother: Aethelred
▫ Vikings won battle at Ashdown
▫

Reading and writing

▫ Alfred wanted to educate his people

▫ All the important books were translated to Anglo-Saxon
▫ Alfred translated books into Latin
▫ The Saxons brought their own alphabet: Runic alphabet
▫ Monks had to write every book by hand

Sports and pastimes

▫ Saxon and Viking children never went to school

▫ People only lived to about 30

The last years of Saxon England

▫ The battle of Maldon marked the beginning of the end for Saxon England
▫ Ethelred the king had to paid 10.000
▫ 199 Vikings were back
▫ People came to call the money Danegeld: ‘Danish money’
▫ 1002 Ethelred thought the Vikings were plotting against him
▫ Ethelred ordered to death of all Vikings living in England outside the Danelaw
 ▫ Swein Forkbeard, king of Denmark
▫ 1003 invaded England and destroyed oxford and Winchester
▫ Forkbeard died (1004) and his son was the king Cnut
▫ 1006 conquered nearly all England
▫ The English nobles had choice: Cnut new king of England
▫ Ethelred died in 1006
▫ Cnut covered England and most of Scandinavia
▫ When Cnut died, nobles' choice Ethelred's son, Edward
▫ Edward was living in Normandy for 30 years
▫ Edward ‘The confessor’ because he spent so much time confessing his sins to God
▫ Duke William, the ruler of Normandy

Summary 2

The first people in Britain

▪ Stone Age
▪ Hunting – fishing
▪ New Stone Age (around 4000BC)
▪ Farmers

Stonehenge and its mysteries

▪ Salisbury Plain
▪ Stonehenge
▪ Ditch and banks
▪ 4000 years ago
▪ Bluestones come from south Wales
▪ Sarcen, lintel, temple
People using iron

▪ Iron Age
▪ Copper+tin= bronze
▪ First tools (700 BC)
▪ Celts from european
▪ Huts made of wattle and daub
▪ Farmers and women make clothes

Living in the iron age

▪ People tried to find out the iron age was like

▪ Bread was their main food

Rome shall be the capital of the world

• Luxuries

The romans arrive in Britain

▪ 55BC roman Army was fighting in Gaul (12k)

▪ Julius Caesar
▪ 54Bc second invasion(30k)
▪ Legionaries and auxiliaries

Attacking a Hill Fort

▪ 43 AD Claudius invasion of Britain

▪ Beginning of the toman conquest of Britain
▪ Durotriges
▪ The 2nd legion was commanded by Vespasian
▪ Conquered the south and west
▪ Attacked 20 of hill forts: Maiden castle in Dorset

The roman Army

▫ Legionaries
▫ Auxiliaries: archers or cavalry
▫ A roman soldier didn’t travel light

The Druids

▫ Romans no friends
▫ AD 54 Claudius finally banned them
▫ AD 60 New British governor attacked the Druid Centre on Anglesey
▫ They were respected

A queen called Boudica

▫ AD 60 first queen
▫ Leader of iceni Tribe
▫ Roman governor: Suetonius

Keeping out the Picts

 ▫ 120-126 AD Buildings of Hadrian’s wall

The romans build roads

▫ Romans need to move to control the Britons

▫ Roman surveyors used an instrument called a groma

The romans build towns

▫ Towns made it easier to control the Britons

▫ The romans moved some tribes down and into new towns like St. Albans
▫ They conquered Spain and Gaul

Out shopping

▫ A town street in roman Britain

▫ Food shops, quite tiny

...and back at home

▫ Romans and Britons live in large homes

▫ In southern England
▫ Chedworth villa in 2nd century AD

A slave’s life

▫ They had been captured in wars

▫ Romans can buy a slave in the market place