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Year 8 NSW
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History
Topic : Ancient Britain Part A
In this topic you will learn...
Chapter 1 :
The origin of the society, fact and myth
Before Roman conquest, Britain was not significant in the history of Western civilisation
By 2500 BC, a tribe known as the Beaker folk, had made their appearance in Britain
During the Iron Age, the British Isles was dominated by the Celts
The Romans conquered Britain about 43 AD, and remained there for nearly 400 years
In 122 AD, the Emperor Hadrian built a wall across northern Britain to defend Roman lands from Celts to the north
Chapter 2 :
Geography of the societal homeland
From 6000 BC to 5000 BC, Britain became separated from the rest of Europe
The southeast of Britain was more fertile than the north and west
Bronze Age settlements consisted of track-ways, huts and enclosures
By the first century AD, Britain was divided into 20 tribal areas, consisting of several farms and villages
By 47 AD the Romans had conquered most of southeast Britain
Chapter 3 :
Societal hierarchy
Celtic society was divided into chieftains, nobles and warriors, farmers and metalworkers, and learned men
Most of the farmers in Celtic society were also warriors in times of conflict
Druids included priests, political advisors, teachers, healers, and arbitrators
There was a strict hierarchy in the society of Roman Britain
At the top were the senatores and the equites
The masses were known as humiliores
Chapter 4 :
Government
There was no central government among the Celtic tribes in Britain
In each tribe, there were many clans; within clans, people were related by a common ancestor
Before the Roman conquest, the Druids held significant spiritual and political power among the Celtic tribes
During Roman occupation, Britain was ruled by a representative of the Roman emperor
Celtic tribes were divided into civitates, local government divisions, populated by non-Roman citizens or 'freeborn inhabitants'
Most people in Roman Britain lived in towns and cities and were influenced by the Latin language and Roman culture
Chapter 5 :
Religion in the society
The Celts practised human sacrifice and revered the human head, as they believed that the head was the seat of spiritual power
In ancient Britain, Druids were powerful and greatly respected
The Celts believed in the after-life
Roman Britain had a number of religions, including Celtic religion and official Roman religion
Romans linked Celtic deities with Roman deities who had similar attributes
The Romans introduced the imperial cult to Britain and suppressed the Druids
Chapter 6 :
Foreign policy and contact
Around 600 BC the Celts spread through central Europe and their society gradually became more structured
The Celts conquered Spain, Northern Italy and the Illyrian people
The British traded with Gaul, the land occupied by the Romans in France
The British used a barter system to trade with Romans in Gaul
The Roman invasion brought Britain into more contact with continental Europe
After the Romans left, three tribes, the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes, established settlements along England's southern coast
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