History 1 Prehistory

Unit 1: Prehistoric Britain
← Pre-inhabitance 800,000BCE – 43CE Roman Britain →
Period Overview
The Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age covers 98% of human history in Britain. The evolution of humans from
the earliest hominins to Homo sapiens occurred in this period. Some of the major advances in technology were
achieved during this period, including the control of fire, agriculture, metalworking and the wheel. The earliest
sign of humans is marked by footprints of Homo antecessor on a beach at Happisburgh in Norfolk dated to
800,000 years ago. Traditionally the end of the Iron Age is marked by the second Roman invasion under Claudius
in 43CE. The useful term prehistory was coined by a Scottish archaeologist, Daniel Wilson, in 1851 to refer to this
time before written history. The main way to study this period is through archaeology.
Life in Prehistoric Britain Changing Times

For most of prehistory people who lived in Britain were During the first 790,000 years of human activity in
hunter-gatherers. During the Ice Ages they hunted Britain, the climate oscillated between Ice Ages and
woolly mammoth, reindeer and wild horses and, as the interstadial warm stages. Britain was usually connected
climate warmed, new species such as red deer, roe to the continent by a land bridge, but this was
deer, aurochs (wild cattle) and wild pig. The warmer periodically flooded. The last time this happened was
climate also brought more plant life to forage, 6000BCE. The earliest hearth in Britain was found at
including fruit, nuts, berries, mushrooms and leafy Beeches Pit in Suffolk, and also dates to about 400,000
plants. During the Ice Age people were very mobile. years ago, possibly tended by Neanderthals. Homo
The same people roamed from the south of France to sapiens (us) arrived around 30,000BCE. The end of the
the Peak District. In the warmer phase that followed, last Ice Age was about 10,000BCE. Agriculture was
rich returning plant and animal life meant that groups developed in the Near East soon after but wasn't
did not have to move around quite as much and may adopted in Britain until 4000BCE, and then only
have had very small territories, perhaps around a piecemeal. Britain was quicker on the uptake with
single lake. When farming was introduced people still metalworking. Copper was used on the continent from
moved around, this time with cows, pigs and sheep in 3000BCE or earlier, and spread to Britain by about 2300
tow. Communities came together regularly to feast, BCE. The addition of tin to make bronze was then
exchange gifts and perhaps marriage partners. exported from Britain back to the continent. Proper
Significant places in the landscape were elaborated mixed farming with crops, permanent settlements and
with stone or earth monuments, often associated with fields kicked in during the Middle Bronze Age for most
the dead. There were times when an elite seem to areas of England. Iron working took a couple of
have held power, such as the Early Bronze Age, but centuries, from 800-600BCE, to overtake the use of
other periods were more egalitarian. bronze as it took skill to make better blades.
Possible Enquiry Questions Key Individuals

 Would you like to be a hunter-gatherer or a  Swanscombe woman – three parts of a cranium of a
farmer? Neanderthal woman c. 400,000-350,000BCE
 Why did people build Stonehenge?  Red Lady of Paviland – actually a young man buried in
 Did the Beaker folk really exist? a cave in South Wales c. 26,000BCE
 Who were the kings and queens in prehistory?  Amesbury Archer – visitor from the Alps buried with
 Barrows, bogs and druids: what did people earliest bronze near Stonehenge c. 2300BCE
believe in prehistory?  Wetwang tribal queen - buried with a spectacular
 Which is better, bronze or iron? chariot in a Yorkshire village c. 200BCE
 Did Celts ever come to Britain?  Lindow Man – sacrificed in a religious ceremony and
placed in a bog in Cheshire c. 40CE
w. www.primarycurriculum.me.uk
Timeline of Key Events:
Stone Age: Palaeolithic to 10,000 BCE
Mesolithic to 4000 BCE
Neolithic to 2300 BCE
Bronze Age: 2300 BCE to 800 BCE
Iron Age: 800 BCE to 43 CE
All dates below are approximate
800,000 BCE Earliest footprints in Britain
400,000 BCE Earliest hearth in Britain
10,000 BCE End of the last Ice Age
6000 BCE Land bridge to Europe flooded
Skara Brae, Neolithic village in Orkney1 4000 BCE Adoption of agriculture
3000 BCE Stonehenge started
What have Prehistoric people 3000 BCE Skara Brae built
2300 BCE Bronze working introduced
ever done for us? 1600 BCE Stonehenge abandoned
Most of the major technological achievements were
made during the prehistoric period, such as control of 1500 BCE Villages and mixed farming
fire, metalworking and farming, without which our 1200 BCE First hillforts
modern life would not be possible. British culture, 800 BCE Ironworking introduced
though disturbed and modified by incursions of 120 BCE Coins introduced from Europe
Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, was also forged in 100 BCE Belgae arrived from Europe
this period, and one prominent archaeologist, Francis 80 BCE Roman amphorae imported
Pryor, believes it is essentially the same.
54 BCE First Roman invasion (Julius Caesar)
“I genuinely believe that the British belief in individual
freedom has prehistoric roots.”
43 CE Second Roman invasion (Claudius)
Big Concepts Broader Context

The nature of the evidence for prehistory is essentially  Hominins evolve in East Africa c. 2.5 mya
material, rather than written. It is the record of human  Homo erectus travels out of Africa c.1.8mya
impact on the landscape and the artefacts they made,  Homo sapiens evolves in East Africa c. 200 kya
used and left behind. The development of the economy  Homo sapiens travels out of Africa c. 60kya
from a mobile hunter-gatherer lifestyle to settled  Agriculture developed in Near East c. 10,000 BCE
farming, contrasting long-distance trade and gift  Agriculture spreads to Germany c. 6000 BCE
 Bronze working starts in the Near East c.3000 BCE
exchange to the adoption of coinage can all be explored
 First Egyptian pyramid built c. 2600 BCE
in this period. The extent of a hierarchy fluctuates
 Ancient Greek civilisation starts c. 500 BCE
throughout prehistory. Religious activities range from  Philip II of Macedon issues coinage 359 BCE
building monuments to depositing objects in wet  Romans conquer Greece 133 BCE
places.  Romans conquer Gaul (France) 55 BCE
Places to Visit: Further Information:

There are hillforts, barrows, cairns and stone circles on BBC Pre-History: http://bit.do/BBCprehistory
public land across England as well as plenty of
collections in local, regional and national museums. British Museum : http://bit.do/BritishMuseum1
Possible visit sites include: Pastscape: http://pastscape.org.uk/
 Cresswell Crags, Nottinghamshire
Schools Prehistory: http://bit.do/schprehistory
 Butser Ancient Farm, Hampshire
 Bodrifty Iron Age Settlement, Cornwall English Heritage Pre-History Teachers’ Kit:
 Museum of the Iron Age, Hampshire http://bit.do/EnglishHeritage1
 Flag Fen, Cambridgeshire
Skara Brae [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orkney_Skara_Brae.jpg] image by John Burka is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. The licence can be viewed at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

History 1 Prehistory

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

History 1 Prehistory

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

History 1 Prehistory

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Unit 1: Prehistoric Britain

← Pre-inhabitance 800,000BCE – 43CE Roman Britain →

Life in Prehistoric Britain Changing Times

Possible Enquiry Questions Key Individuals

Big Concepts Broader Context

Places to Visit: Further Information:

You might also like