UNIT 1: EARLIESTSETTLEMENTSIN THEBRITISH ISLES

1. The Palaeolithic:
1 million years ago:
4 phases of cold 3 warmer periods
Uninhabitable
Last glaciations Modern men Kents caverns
!nter nomads from "!rope Land#bridge
1.1. The Neanderthals:
"volved from omo eidelberg
$ontnewydd %ave h!man traits
"ngland & 'ales remains of Middle $alaeolithic (a)e tools
Life isolated gro!ps didnt move ferocio!s animals
*reat s!rvivors of the +ce ,ges
-ew technology tools
.slender (int blades/ antler/
ivory & bone0
412111 years ago -ew settlers omo 3apiens

4rom Middle "ast "!rope
1.2. The frst settlers o Britain ! Ireland:
Land#bridge arrived on foot
5112111 years ago 4irst evidence of h!man inhabitation
Modern h!mans 6ritain 312111 years ago
6!t settled 132111 years ago Last +ce ,ge
-o land#bridge 52111 6%
$rehistoric animals .meat & danger0
7512111 years ago 3wanscombe/ Kent
'ooden spears h!nters .(int a8es0
6eetling brow/ massive 9aw similar brain
$recario!s life 4ire:::
!nters gro!p e8peditions .co!rage & s)ill0
,nimals warm s)ins
Kents %avern Limestone hill $assages & chamber 412111 years ago
;ld 3tone people artistic s)ills barbed harpoons & spear#throwers
animal teeths strings & moll!sc shells
<everence for the dead life after death
2. The Mesolithic:
4rom 112111 to 52511 6% Middle 3tone ,ge
-o land#bridge shorelines of 6ritain
!man activity records 3cotland & +reland 4irst time
Mo!nt 3andel in +reland %oloni=ers from 3cotland
!nter#gatherers edible wild plants/ & >shed & h!nted animals
stone a8es/ bows/ microliths .arrowheads0/ el) antler mattoc)s
Later Mesolithic ?endency to settle shell middens
food storage pits
territorial bo!ndaries
planned cementeries
%ave at ,velines ole .@1 people0
Aiet plants/ meat & >sh
". The Neolithic:
32111 6% 3elf#s!f>cient comm!nities
,rrival of >rst farmers by boat seed of barley & wheat
sheep & cattle
new tools: sic)les
cleared woodsB drained chal) & limestone mills
Aependent on their herds semi#nomadic e8ha!sted gra=ing
Life was hard nat!ral disasters & diseases
4ood !nder h!man control grain grown to last
cattle b!tchered
clothing from hides protection against cold
4armers persisted h!nter#gathered bands disappear or Cconverted
?ools digging stic)s/ plo!gh by men or o8en/ a8esD timber & thatch h!ts
3torage grain $ottery 32311 6% clay decorations
,gric!lt!re increased pop!lation More settled life
".1. Neolithic architect#re:
"normo!s social changes
%omm!nities r!led by relevant families 32111 to 72511 6%
hill#top camps & collective
tombs
6ritains mon!mental architect!re created
!ge earthwor) enclos!res or henges ,veb!ry religio!s centres
3ilb!ry ill in 'iltshire largest str!ct!re chal) bloc)s !p to 131 ft2
,gric!lt!re men spared from >elds in only 12511 years
observed the s!n/ moon & stars stone circles
meas!red time
predicted eclipses
".2. Rit#al $on#$ents in Britain ! Ireland:
'indmill ill in 'iltshire & emb!ry in Aevon
Large earthwor) enclos!res ditches & ca!seways gatherings barter
feasting
worship
3ocial str!ct!re prominent families splendo!r in b!rials tombs
barrows & mo!nds
commemorated stat!s white chal) tombstones
6!rials pop!lated =ones/ nat!ral ro!tes 'esse8/ ?hames Ealley & ;r)ney
+slands
3tonehenge !niF!e height/ precision/ shaping & 9ointing/ stone lintels
3alisb!ry $lain G miles from 3alisb!ry & 7 miles from ,mesb!ry
<epresentation religio!s beliefs or ceremonies:::
observatory rising & setting of s!n & moon
predict eclipses
4 periods 3tonehenge + .72G11 6%0 circ!lar earthwor) enclos!re
ban) & ditch o!tside
7 stones in entrance#gap
4 large wooden posts
triple gateway
ell 3tone
ring of 5H pits ,!brey oles .1
m0
re>lled b!rials
cremated bones
3tonehenge ++ ,ven!e .511 metres0
do!ble circle of bl!estone .$reseli Mo!ntain0
entrance with e8tra#stones
large stone 4 stations
corners of a rectangle
3tonehenge +++ .72111 6%0 o!ter circle of 31 stones
lintels
horseshoe of 5 trilithons
12511 men
3tonehenge +E .12111 6%0 ,ven!e e8tended to <iver ,von
?he6oyne rit!al landscape %o!nty Meath in +reland
3 large passage graves .32111 6%0 smaller graves
arti>cial ponds
standing stones
wooden str!ct!res
-ewgrange/ Knowth & Aowth
small cementery of tombs
%. The Bron&e A'e:
4rom 72411 to @11 6%
3tone circles & comm!nal b!rials in chambered tombs -eolithic mon!ments
,grarian economy wheat & barley
animal h!sbandry
pigs/ cattle & sheep
12511 6% people gro!ped
enclose & divide the land ban)s & ditches timber b!ildings
Aartmoor &
'esse8
-!rt!ring soil increased cereal prod!ctivity storage pits d!g into the roc)
-ew individ!al elite b!rials cairns & barrows 'hite orse
6ea)er 4ol) c!ps b!ried/ single graves/ eF!ipped with archers bows & )nives of
copper
Metal
$ottery geometric mar)ings
%.1. Ne( $aterials ! tools:
'esse8 people rich metal reso!rces wealth & power
goods e8changed with +reland
3candinavia
6rittany
%entral "!rope
Mediterranean
Master craftsmen organisational abilities
technical s)ill
mastery of metal tin/ copper & gold ores
copper I tin J bron=e recast/ re#straightened & sharpened
>rst/ l!8!ry
then/ daggers & a8es
3!pplies of bron=e increased so did range of prod!cts & technical s)ill
6ritish trade & prod!ction in bron=e its pea) in the G
th
cent!ry
Mon!ments spectac!lar/ b!t few
). The Iron A'e:
G11 6% interaction civilised c!lt!res of Mediterranean *ree)s
barbarians "tr!scans
$hoenicians
<omans
,tlantic =one +reland/ 'est 6ritain & 'estern seaboard of "!rope
)ept in contact by sea e8changing ideas & gifts
trading with some commodities
3mall & scattered homesteads
where land was good s!pported a single/ large family
omesteads 3cotland 6<;% large/ ro!nd/ high towers
AU-3 larger/ less reg!lar/ not high
3o!thern 6ritain larger/ farming villages
single & scattered farmsteads ban)s
ditches
+reland el!sive/ hilltop enclos!res 'est %oast
stone#b!ilt forts
).1. Hill*ort deences:
@11 6% hill#forts proliferated centre of +sland -2'ales to 'esse8 &
3!sse8
!ntil the <omans
311 6% vertical stone#wall & a roc)#c!t ditch some/ abandoned
others/ strongly defended
massive ditches
Eariety circ!lar wor) 5 hectares
smaller
large with slight ban)s & ditches
3ocial & rit!al needs
Aefence::: gates to impress
).2. +o$$erce ! art:
,gric!lt!ral economy 6ritain & +reland wheat & barley
farmed animals
goods in s!rpl!s corn/ hide/ wool/ salt e8change
new ideas from the %ontinent warrior eF!ipment 511 6%
iron stabbing swords
iron#>tted chariots
%elts ferocity
decorations
iron prod!cing process !n)nown to
6ritish
,tlantic seaways copper/ gold & tin
scarcity demanded Mediterranean
trade developed & e8panded
,. The +elts:
6arbarian people northern fringes of world
event!ally/ more people & tribes
related lang!ages & similar c!lt!re
5
th
cent!ry La ?Kne .Cthe shallows0
erodot!s 451 6% settlements near Aan!be migrations all over "!rope
sac)ed <ome
lands from +reland/
3pain & !ngary
-o empire/ b!t independent )ingdom or gro!ps of )ingdom
L!li!s %aesar war#loving & vainglorio!s %elts fo!ght na)ed single combat
chariots
too) heads of enemies
towns in trade coinage
writing
$riests Ar!ids
<oman conF!est & barbarian invasions obsc!red %eltic past
+reland s!rvived
Aefended hill#forts 3o!th & 'est in "ngland
-o direct relationship between %eltic lang!ages & La ?Kne c!lt!re Middle
"!rope migrants
H212 +#lt#re ! art:
La ?Kne %eltic art: energetic/ e8!berant/ e8plosive/ h!mo!r
fantastic imagery %lassical & ;riental forms
plant forms
@
th
& G
th
cent!ries 6% +rish society: %elt epic#hero tales & high crosses
711 6% 6ritish style of %eltic art schools
55 6%/ <omans 6ritish craftsmen weapons/ shields/ helmets/ horse#
trappings
bron=e & iron e8cellence
everyday#!se articles
inspiration from nat!re
%hristianity f!sion & enrichment -ative %eltic tradition I <oman c!lt!re
*aelic %eltic
3cotland/ by +rish settlement
$re#%eltic

,.2. Architect#re:
3trength & sec!rity 6<;%3 traded commodities & slaves
for iron& bron=e weapons
511 brochs in 3cotland
ro!nd stone ho!ses protected by a circ!lar wall
41 51 ft2 wooden door
co!rtyard
3 storeys/ staircase
storage space
smithing/ corn#grinding
weaving
gro!nd (oor cattle
people lived in !pper storeys
,.". Societ-:
3ocial str!ct!re based on religio!s cosmology & democratic idealism
each tribe own territory forest/ wilderness/ agric!lt!ral holdings
& common lands wor)ed in common
apportioned as family
farms
rights & obligations
ann!al assemblies land disp!tes petty offenders chiefs & of>cials
men & women
pop!lar vote
Ar!ids paramo!nt a!thority preserved c!lt!re/ religion/ history/ laws/
scholarship/ science
doctrine so!ls immortality & incarnation
originated in 6ritain native religion myths & heroic legends
related to ancient holy places in
6ritain
holy wells & nat!re shrines spirit!al virt!es
rigid laws
oral instr!ction & memorising 71 years p!pils/ mistrals & bards
pop!lation native Mesolithic ancestry astronomy
priests of megalithic times
abandoned stone temples to nat!ral shrines/ springs & groves
rit!als A<U+3M
spirit!al revival 72111 6% 3tonehenge
men of s!bstance dr!ids & nobility learned & priestly class
chief enforcers & g!ardians of law
abilities render people insane/ forecast f!t!re/ confer invisibility &
divination
didnt serve as warriors and paid no ta8es
+reland divided into )ingdoms into states: ?U,?,111 by 12111 ,A