History (Unit 2) UK

The first inhabitants of the British Isles were the Iberians (3000 BC) (Bronze Age)

Iberians’ characteristics:

- They brought their metal-working skills and the first real civilization to Britain

The Celts

Celts’ characteristics:

- They settled down in almost all Britain

- They began to arrive from Northern Europe (Germany)
- They introduced their tribal organization
- They were in the iron age
- The Celts lived in villages and built forts
- Celtic is the ancestor of the Gaelic, Irish, and Welsh languages.
- They built the Stonehenge (which is one of the most mysterious archaeological sites in the
world. It is said that it was used for ceremonies)

Contributions:

The Romans (43 AC- 410 AC)

Romans’ characteristics

- They invaded approximately 43 AC the

country and stayed there until the 5th century
- They settled down in England and in
Wales.
- They imposed their own way of life such
as: Roman dress, Latin language
- They left very little behind (Almost
everything was destroyed by the Anglo-Saxons
except for instance The city of Bath)
- They left behind three things of
importance: their roads, the site of important
cities (London) and the seeds of Christianity.
- The romans built the Hadrian’s Wall across
the northern border of their province of Britannia
(English-Scottish border) in order to protect it from
attacks by the Scots and the Picts
- The Roman General Julius Caesar led his
army across the sea from Gaul to Britain. He
wanted to make Britain part of Rome's empire
Anglo-Saxons (Germanic Invasion) 410-1066

Anglo-Saxons’
characteristics:
- They were from
Northern Europe
(European mainlands)
- They settled down
in places like
Northamptonshire,
Oxfordshire, Suffolk and
Cambridgeshire
- They were Pagan
- They introduced
new farming methods
and founded the
thousands of self-
sufficient villages which
formed the basis of
England Society
 The Vikings (8th century)

- These invaders came from Scandinavia

- They conquered and settled the islands around
Scotland and some coastal regions of Ireland
- They were Christian
- They were defeated by King Alfred of the Saxons
Kingdom of Wessex
- The Peace of Edington partitions the Germanic
territories between King Alfred’s Saxons and the Danes

The Normans (The Medieval period 1066-1458)