English history to 1603

6

English history to 1603

a) to 1603

1. The oldest inhabitants

The first Homo Sapiens Sapiens lived there between 40,000 BC and 10,000 BC. This age is called Old Stone Age. They were hunters.

About 3,000 BC came there other people. They settled along the western shores1 of England. They brought cattle2, sheep, goats3, pigs and also seed corns.

They introduced to Britain farming and new crafts – stone tools, pottery4, making flint5, axes. They are included into the age called New Stone Age. They were also unwarlike and they lived in tribes.

In 2,000 BC other tribes begun to arrive from Spain. They settled in southern England. They knew metals and therefor they mine gold and copper6. They also produced bronze and they made weapons with it. For example : hoes7, spades8, knives and daggers. This age is called Bronze Age. They lived in tribes too, but they buried their dead in round barrows9. They are known as Iberians. It can be taken as the first real civilisation. They built prehistoric temples Avebury and Stonehenge. These temples were used by high society called druids. They were something like a priest.

Stonehenge – a huge circle of standing stones. It was built probably in 2000 BC near Salisbury. The purpose of it isn’t known, but it could be an astronomical church or a place for people to say their prays to God.

2. Celts

They came in 8th century and they overrun the other tribes. They came from Germany and Netherlands. They were very warlike people and they were all the time fighting. They arrived in three waves. The first wave were Geals (arrived between 800 BC and 700 BC). The second were Britons

(arrived between 600 BC and 500 BC). The third were Belgae who came 100 BC. They came with iron so that age is called Iron Age.

3. Romans

They first invade England in 55 BC with a Gaius Julius Caesar as a leader, but they were not successful. 10 AD the Celtic ruler Cunobelinus conquered all the tribes in England and make his seat Colchester. He had very good terms10 with Romans. After his death the roman emperor called Claudius invade in 43 AD England for the 2nd time. He was successful and he conquered England. Romans ruled England for 2 centuries. They left behind them three main things. They established cities, roads and the came with Christianity ( in 597 by St. Augustine). The cities after them are named usually with end „-chester“ or „-easter“. During the reign11 of Romans the Hadrian wall was built. Emperor Hadrian built this wall to protect the country (123 AD).

4. 5th century

From the 5th century there were many invaders. The most common were Anglo-Saxons and Jutes. They were coming from Northern Europe especially from Germany and Denmark. They accepted the Latin way of life. They took their arts, language, political organisation and they converted to Christianity. They also divided Britain into small kingdoms (7). Than the Romans invade12 again and they plunder the land. The only king who was fighting against them was Arthur.