Prehistoric Britain is Britain during the period between the first arrival of humans on the land mass now known as Great Britain (450, 000 BC) and the start of recorded British history which is conventionally reckoned to begin in AD 43 with the Roman invasion of Britain.
Timeline 6000 -6, 500 BC – Britain becomes an island 4000 BC – Neolithic or New Stone Age begins – farming people arrive from Europe. 3000 BC – first stone circles 2300 BC – Bronze Age begins (people learn to make bronze weapons and tools) 2000 BC – Stonehenge is built 750 BC – Iron Age begins (Iron replaces bronze) – Population about 150, 000 500 BC – the Celtic people arrive from Central Europe. 43 AD – Roman Invasion.
Human beings have been living in the part of northern Europe that is today called Britain for about 750, 000 years. Britain used to be joined to the European land mass by a land bridge but shortly before 6000 BC the English Channel was formed and Britain became an island separated from the rest of Europe.
OLD STONE AGE (Paleolithic Period) At this time human development was characterized by the use of rudimentary chipped stone tools. People used stone artefacts, wood, clay, animal bones etc.
MIDDLE STONE AGE (Mesolithic Period) Humankind finally moved house out of the caves and into dwellings and now was able to exploit a wider range of animal and vegetable food source.
NEW STONE AGE (Neolithic Period) Farming, introduced by immigrants from Western England, quickly spread all across the British Isles ('Neolithic revolution') More tools were created, such as the bow, arrow and axe. Large quantities of stone axes, antler combs and pottery were in common use.
Clothing seems to have been simple hide garments and ornamentation was extremely simple: animal teeth and bone necklaces.
BRONZE AGE In around 2, 700 BC the Beaker culture arrived to Britain, bringing metal-working skills with them. Around 2, 150 BC smiths discovered how to make bronze and over the next thousand years, bronze gradually replaced stone as the main material for tool and weapon making.
It was during the Bronze age that circles of standing stones began to be erected in Britain. By far the most famous is Stonehenge, but at least 900 stone circles survived long enough to be recorded.
IRON AGE In around 750 BC iron working techniques reached Britain from Southern Europe. Iron working revolutionised many aspects of life, most importantly agriculture.
People lived in round houses with thatched roofs. Farmers grew wheat and barley, and kept cattle, sheep and pigs. Some farming families spent part of their time making salt, quern stones or iron which were traded over long distances across Britain.
1) In what way did the Beaker people influence the prehistoric British culture? 2) Why was the introduction of iron tools so significant? 3) What is meant by the term 'Neolithic Revolution'?
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