ANCIENT PEOPLE ON THE TERRITORY OF THE BRITISH

ANCIENT PEOPLE ON THE TERRITORY OF THE BRITISH ISLES THE INVASION OF THE CELTS. The romans (6th – 3d cent. BC)

The earliest remnants 250,000 years old – a human skull, Swanscombe; primitive people, who lived on hunting and used rough flints 200,000 years ago – stone hand-axes and other implements 50,000 years ago – open-air camps; the most ancient - near Clacton-on-Sea in Essex and Boxgrove in Sussex 35,000-40,000 years BC – caves in Somerset, Devon, Derbyshire and Kent; traces of occupancy left by Neanderthal man 10,000 BC – Old Stone Age men; hunters, gatherers and fishers; few homes Around 6,000 BC – the end of the last Ice Age, Britain became an island

The Iberians 3,000 BC – New Stone Age or Neolithic people (the Iberians): a primitive agriculture domesticated animals pottery earthwork enclosures on the hilltops (Windmill Hill, Avery) flint used as weapons

The Beaker People After 2,400 BC – the Beaker people: an Indo-European language military and metalworking skills bronze tools and weapons the first individual graves, furnished with pottery beakers

The Celts: the Gaels and the Brithons 6th to the 3d century BC – the Celts 6th century BC – the first wave, the Gaels; driven into the mountains of Wales and Scotland 600-500 BC – the second wave, the Brithons; settled in the South of England, in Wales, in Northwest England and Southwest Scotland; metal spears, swords, daggers and axes About 500 BC – the first wheeled carts About 400 BC – iron; a revival of the hilltop camps; development of the tribal system; no towns; hill-forts (Maiden Castle in Dorset) and farms, often surrounded by small enclosures; permanent fields, pastures.

The Celts: the Belgae About 100 BC – the third wave, the Belgae Occupied the central part of the island Chariots, horseman Started to build towns in the valleys Introduced silver and copper coins

The sources of knowledge about the Celts The works of Tacitus and other Roman authors Julius Caesar, ‘Commentaries on the Gallic War’ Archeological findings Myth and legend

The druids The priests, the druids, were very important and powerful. Sometimes they had more authority than the chiefs. The druids were considered to be enchanters. They met together in dark woods, which they called Sacred Groves, to worship gods and spirits and to look for the signs able to predict the future. They probably practiced human sacrifice to soften the rage of the gods. The druids were also the keepers of knowledge. They taught young men as pupils, and the course of studies sometimes lasted for twenty years.

The first campaign of Julius Caesar 55 BC Political reasons: The Celts confronted the Romans in Germany, Gaul, and Spain Refugees from Gaul were welcomed and sheltered in Britannia Economic reasons: Britain had become an important food producer Exported corn and animals, hunting dogs and slaves Could be a source of gaining wealth 10 thousand men (2 legions) A short battle Caesar’s problems with ships The result: Caesar imposed only nominal terms and took hostages to the mainland

The second campaign of Julius Caesar 54 BC 5 legions (25.000 men) and some cavalry Penetrated to where London now stands Opposition of the joined Celtic forces The partisan tactics of the Celts were not a success The Celts gave away hostages and promised tribute and submission

The results of Caesar’s campaigns The promised tribute was not paid The military results were modest, but Britons stopped to fight in Gaul Britain was put on the Roman map and this created an important precedent for further interventions In the following hundred years the British developed a life of their own with the growing contacts with the mainland and the Roman Empire The trade developed Cultural links were established

The Conquest 43 AD – Emperor Claudius sent 20,000 men to Britain In two big battles the Romans conquered the southern part of the island Britain was made a province of the Empire For more than four centuries it was an integral part of a single political system.

Suppression of local population Burning of the island of Mona (Anglesey) Extermination of hostile or suspect Celtic tribes The end of the partisan war Opposition from Scotland; six campaigns of expansion to the north 122-163 AD Hadrian’s Wall; 143 AD Antonine Wall

Romano- British Culture Agricola and his policies: more lenient tributes; building of temples, courts of justice, and dwelling houses; a liberal education In the later period of Roman power – more of trade relations, a growing difference between the rich and the poor The written word was important for spreading ideas and establishing state power The Romans introduced numbers, a 10-month calendar, fixed hours of the day, different types of new tools, pottery and jewellery made from bronze, glass and gold The Celtic peasantry stayed mostly illiterate and spoke Celtic languages, while town dwellers used Latin and Greek.

Political Life The army of occupation was less than 40,000 After a few generations the army was locally recruited and almost of purely British birth In the Roman world the law dominated and closely regulated the relations between the individual and the State and between individuals The society was dominated by regulations and procedures contained in official documents

Cities York, Gloucester, Lincoln - chief towns London, a capital city of about 20,000 people 20 large towns (5,000) About 100 smaller ones; built in stone and wood Planned streets, the forum and basilica Market and shops, law courts, civic offices and council chambers Public baths; engineering water supplies Public monuments; theatres or amphitheatres Crafts and trades Straight roads Stone bridges

Agriculture Large farms – villas Each villa had many workers Roman habits and Roman utensils were introduced Main buildings had several bedrooms, living rooms with mosaic floors, painted walls, sometimes glass windows; a big kitchen Some villas had central heating with hot water running under floors Villas belonged to the richer Britons and sometimes Romans All villas were connected with roads Villas were usually situated close to towns, so that the crops could be sold easily Export of corn, hides, cattle, and iron

Christianity The Romans started Christianity in Britain Soldiers or settlers brought it to the country in about 200 AD from Gaul In AD 324 Christianity became Roman’s official religion by Emperor Constantine, who was a Romano-Britain By that time England had three bishops – at Lincoln, London and York.