Neolithic and Celtic settlers

1.

4000 BC Neolithic people
came from Europe in small round
boats.
They kept animals, grew corn
crops, and knew how to make
pottery.
They became the first farmers

2.

The great “public works”: barrows or burial mounds
Increase in food supplies
Food surplus - more free time
Started building
First structures – barrows (common burial
mounds)

3.

The barrows and their not so peaceful footage
The Battle of Crickley Hill 3,500 BC: the main conflict over land
ownership

4.

After 3000 BC the chalkland people started
building great circles
“henges”, the first centers of religious, political and economic power.

5.

From about 1300 BC henge civilization
becomes less important
A new form of society – a
settled farming class =>
shift of power eastwards
Swords found in the
Thames valley => King
Author’s sword

6.

The “Beaker” people
After 2400 BC new groups of people arrived from Balkans with the
knowledge of how to extract copper from stone. They became leaders
of British society.
First individual graves, bronze tools

7.

The Iron Age – The age of Warriors
Snettisham Treasures 750 BC
• The Snettisham Hoard or Snettisham Treasure is a series of discoveries of
Iron Age precious metal, found in the Snettisham area of the English
county of Norfolk – ceremonial shields and swords
The hoard – the sigh of leadership

8.

The Celts
Started arriving around 700 BC.
Tall, fair or red haired, blue eyed.
Were technically advanced, knew how to work with iron (stronger
than bronze)
Took over all the lowland areas of Britain
Established tribes with chiefs either elected or through fighting

9.

The Celts started building hill-forts
which became simple
economic capitals, smaller
“towns” of the different
tribal areas in Britain
They led trade across hillforts and beyond Britain

10.

The Druids
were a warrior class (priests) who ruled over
the Celtic tribes.
Could not read or write but memorized all
the religious teachings, the tribal laws,
history, medicine and other necessary
knowledge.
They met once a year in sacred groves of
trees
Women had power and independence, some
tribes were ruled by women

11.

Boadicea
The most powerful Celt
to stand up to the
Romans in 61 AD
she led the Celtic Iceni
and Trinovantes and a
few other Celtic tribes
in armed revolt against
the Romans.