The Celts
The Ancient Celts
From around 750 BC to 12 BC, the Celts were the most powerful people in central
and northern Europe. There were many groups (tribes) of Celts. Their civilization
flourished across a wide area, from the British Isles to the borders of the Ukraine.
Northwest Europe was dominated by three main Celtic groups. Gauls lived in what is now France.
Britons lived in Great Britain and Gaels lived in Ireland.
Celts in Britain
The Celts arrived in Britain about the year 500 BC. They were farmers and lived in small village
groups in the centre of their arable fields. These groups slowly collected together into larger tribes,
living in their own special regions. Each tribe was ruled by a king or queen.
Celts were also warlike people. The tribes often quarrelled with each other and fought savage
battles.
At the time when the Roman invasion of 55 and 54 BC Britain was still in the late Iron Age.
A famous Celtic Queen
Warrior Queen Boudicca was the wife of the ruler of the Iceni, a Celtic tribe who lived in eastern
England. After her husbands death, the Romans claimed the Iceni lands. When Boudicca protested
she was beaten and her daughters attacked. In revenge, Boudicca led an army to attack London in
AD 60. Boudicca's army caused vast
amounts of damage before being defeated.
Celtic Houses
The Celts lived in round houses with
thatched roofs of straw or heather. The
walls of their houses were made from local
material. Houses in the south tended to be
made from wattle (woven wood) and daub
(straw and mud) as there was an ample
supply of wood from the forests. The
houses in the north were made with large
stones held together with clay. The
photographs below show both types of
houses.
The Celts would light a fire in the middle of the
roundhouse for cooking and heating. It must have
been very smoky inside.
Most Celts lived in scattered farming communities
surrounded by a banks with wattle fencing and a ditch
to keep out intruders and wild animals. Sometimes
groups of houses were built on the top of hills. These
are called hill-forts.
As well as small communities, there were also large settlements and heavily defended forts.
Colchester was one such large Celtic settlement.
Make your own Celtic roundhouse!!!
http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/reticulum/NORTHERNFRONTIER/TheWretchedBritons/SETTLEMENTS/Let
sMakeItRHouse.htm#SETTLEMENTS/MasterRoundhouseTemplate.gif
Celtic Religion
The Celts were very superstitious people. Celtic priests were called Druids. They were the link
between the supernatural world and the ordinary human one. They were able to predict what
would happen in the future by interpreting nature.
The Celts believed in many gods and goddesses, as well as spirits and sacred animals and birds.
These magical creatures controlled every part of a person's life. Among them were Sucellos, the
sky god, with a hammer that caused lightning, and Nodens, who made clouds and rain. Others had
no names, but lived in springs, woods and other places.
The Celts believed that the human soul had an after life and lived in the head, which is why they
collected the heads of their enemies killed in battles.
Romans Invade Britain
In August 55 BC the Roman general Julius Caesar landed near Deal, in Kent, with 10,000 troops.
He met with furious resistance and left. He returned the following year with at least 30,000 foot
soldiers and 2,000 calvary. This time they crossed the River Thames and invaded the tribal lands
around St Albans. The Britons of southeast England were forced to pay tribute to Rome and Caesar
withdrew.
In AD 43 the Romans invaded Britain again. This time 40,000 Roman troops fought their way
through Kent, crossed the Thames and captured Colchester. There were savage battles. It took
four years for the Romans to take control over southern Britain, and over 30 more to conquer
Wales and the West.
IRON AGE CELTS QUIZ
1. What was an Iron Age Celtic house called?
a. triangular house
b. round house
c. igloo
2. What was the Iron Age Celts’ main work?
a. banking
b. farming
c. fighting
3. What was an Iron Age Celtic priest called?
a. druid
b. vicar
c. witch-doctor
4. Stone and bronze were used before Iron Age times. Which new material did the Celts use?
a. cement
b. straw
c. iron
5. What is the name of a fence around a hillfort?
a. palisade fence
b. wrought iron fence
c. garden fence
6. Which colour was woad, the plant dye used as war paint?
a. pink
b. yellow
c. blue
7. Which plant was thought to have magical powers?
a. mistletoe
b. blackberry
c. oak
8. Which island in Wales was sacred to the druids?
a. Bardsey
b. Skomer
c. Anglesey
9. Which invaders arrived in the first century, AD 43?
a. Romans
b. Greeks
c. Celts
10. What was the mixture of clay, straw, animal hair and dung used to make the walls of Celtic
houses weatherproof called?
a. plaster
b. cement
c. daub
11. Food was cooked over a fire in a ………?
a. cauldron
b. helmet
c. saucepan
12. Important Iron Age Celts wore torcs around their ……?
a. ankle
b. waist
c. neck
Find out more about the Celts on the BBC website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/factfile/index.shtml
On this site you will find several activities about the Celts:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/index.shtml?