Transcript european middle ages - culturainglesaygramatica

EUROPEAN MIDDLE AGES
THE CELTS
Who were the Celts?
• The Iron Age Celts lived in Britain before and
after Jesus. We're going back a very, very long
time - two thousand years ago, in fact.
• Our years are numbered by starting at the
year Jesus Christ was born - and the Iron Age
Celts lived here 750 years before that. The
Iron Age ended in AD43 (43 years after Jesus
was born) when the Romans invaded Britain
Timeline
• The name 'Iron Age' comes from the discovery of
a new metal called iron. We can find out a lot
about the Celts through looking at objects made
of iron and other materials which have survived
over time, such as the Tal-y-Llyn plaque.
• The brass plaque was found in 1963 on Cadair
Idris in north Wales. The pair of plaques are
decorated with human faces. The faces have
staring eyes, and straight hair. Archaeologists
believe that the head was greatly respected by
the Celts.
• The Celts lived across most of Europe during
the Iron Age. Today the Celts live in Wales,
Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Cornwall
and in Brittany, France. Their culture lives on
in language, music, song and literature.
The Evidence
• Bog body
• Sometimes the clues are found by accident. A digger
moving earth in a peat bog in Cheshire found a human
body buried deep in a bog. The shocked workmen
called the police - they thought the man had been
murdered.
• The man had been knocked on the head, strangled and
his neck had been cut. Imagine their surprise when
archaeologists worked out that he was an Iron Age Celt
who had been killed 2000 years ago!
• Only the upper half of the man's body remained.
Archaeologists found food still in his stomach
after 2,000 years! His last meal was bread. Here
was a fantastic clue to the world of the Celts,
pickled in the bog.
• The bog man was naked when his body was
found. Unfortunately, evidence like clothes, shoes
and pots are rarely found because they rot in the
soil. But things made of stone and metal do not
rot and these are the clues which tell us about
the Celts - but give us only part of the story.
Recording events
• The early Celts didn't leave books behind because they
didn't read and write - word of mouth and memory
were the Celts' way of recording events.
• But luckily, the Greeks and Romans did write about the
Iron Age Celts. They tell us that the Celts lived in tribes,
they wore gold and loved to fight and drink wine. They
also wrote about the power of the Celts' priests, who
were called druids.
• The druids knew how to keep their gods happy - they
sacrificed food, precious objects, and even people to
their gods and goddesses.
• The Snowdon bowl in the picture was probably a
gift to a god or goddess, as it was a valuable,
important treasure. The design on the handle of
the bronze bowl looks like an animal's head. Two
biology students found the bowl's remains in
1974 on the north-east side of Snowdon, north
Wales. Archaeologists think the bog body from
Cheshire was also a sacrifice to the gods. We can
never be absolutely sure what happened in the
past though. We can only piece together the
clues and, with imagination, work out what
happened.
The Snowdon
Homes
• Iron Age Celts lived in houses - but they were very different to the
houses we live in today! Large families lived in a roundhouse. The
walls were made of daub (straw, mud and tail) and the roof of
straw.
• Iron firedog
• The Celts would light a fire in the middle of the roundhouse for
cooking and heating. A farm worker found this iron firedog in 1852
near Llanrwst, north Wales. It was found lying on its side, with a
large stone at each end, and deeply buried in peat.
• Archaeologists believe it was a gift to one of the Celtic gods or
goddesses.
• In the roundhouse, firedogs would have been placed as decorations
either side of the central fire. Perhaps they showed the status of
the family. The blacksmith who made this firedog was very skilled at
shaping and working iron. At either end of the firedog is an animal's
head and neck - it would have taken a lot of time, effort and skill to
make.
Iron Firedog
• Roundhouses
• This is a reconstructed Iron Age roundhouse, built on a
hillfort site in Castell Henllys, Pembrokeshire.
• Iron Age people would have chosen where they lived for
different reasons. The chieftain and his family, soldiers and
craftsmen, lived in a hillfort because they were easy to
defend.
• There are over 1000 Iron Age hillforts in Wales. Steep
slopes, a high wall and deep ditch helped keep the Celts
safe in their homes.
• Farmers lived on the land they farmed. Sometimes farms
would be built in spots with a good source of water, or
fertile ground of good pasture for the animals. The Celts
grew corn and kept cows, pigs, horses, goats and sheep.
• The hillforts didn't keep the Romans out though and the
Celtic tribes were conquered when the Romans invaded in
AD43.
Roundhouse
Metal Work
• The name Iron Age comes from the Celts' discovery and use of iron.
The clues dug up by archaeologists show how skilled the Iron Age
Celts were at making metal objects.
• In Wales, the earliest iron objects come from the Llyn Fawr,
Rhondda Cynon Taff hoard which dates back to around 750BC. They
include a sickle, a sword and a spear.
• Jewellery
• Archaeologists have found lots of jewellery when digging for clues
about the Celts. The Celts used bronze and gold as well as iron. The
heads of the tribe would wear fancy jewellery to show how
important they were.
• The Celtic craftsmen loved symmetrical designs and patterns. They
were especially fond of a three-legged (triskeles) shape, like the one
on this Iron Age bronze plaque which was found in Llyn Cerrig Bach
in Anglesey. The Celts also liked to use animal shapes and faces in
their patterns.
Jewellery
• Because archaeologists rarely find clothing,
leatherwork or basketwork, we can only guess by
looking at the metal and gold and other objects that
have survived that the Celts liked bright colours and
complicated patterns.
• Weapons
• Their skill as metal workers was also important when
they were defending themselves from their enemies.
They needed sharp objects like spears, as well as
shields, to defend themselves from enemy attack. The
picture shows part of a shield, also decorated with a
triskele, which was found in Tal-y-Llyn.
Schield
Clothes and appearance
• The Iron Age Celts' clothes might have looked like the
tartan you see in Scotland and Ireland today, with checks
and stripes. The Celts used berries and plants to dye the
wool different colours.
• Not only did the Celts like brightly coloured clothes - the
Romans tell us that some of them painted patterns all over
their bodies with blue woad made of a special plant.
• The Celts' clothes showed their status and importance
within the tribe. Men would wear a tunic with a belt, a
cloak and trousers. Women wore dresses fastened with
brooches.
• And if you were an important member of the tribe, you
would wear a neck torc of gold, silver or iron, decorated
with patterns.
Celtic Warrior
• Soldiers
• Roman historians say that Celtic soldiers had white
spiky hair. They used lime like we use hair mousse
today, and sometimes they tied their hair up in a
ponytail. Around their necks they wore gold torcs like
big necklaces.
• The most famous soldiers wore fancy bronze helmets
on their head to show how important they were. Often
there were model birds, animals or horns on the
helmets which made them even more special. They
carried huge shields decorated with signs or patterns.
•
Celtic woman
• Tacitus said that Celtic women were as large and
frightening as the men. If this is true, no wonder they
took part in the fighting too! Bouddicca is a famous
female fighter. Chief of the Inceni tribe, she is
described as having thick red hair down to her knees a bit like Fearless Ffion in our Games & Stories,
perhaps.
• She wore a colourful tunic, a gold torc around her neck
and a cape of thick tweed pinned with a brooch. When
she went to fight, she held a spear in her hand. She
didn't like the Romans and revolted against them.
Religion and Belief
• Archaeologists believe that the Iron Age Celts had
many gods and goddesses and that the Celts
worshipped their gods through sacrifice, giving them
valuable objects to keep them happy.
• But material treasures weren't the only sacrifices - the
Iron Age Celts sacrificed (killed) animals, and even
humans, to their gods.
• The Celts also sacrificed weapons to the gods by
throwing them into lakes, rivers and bogs - places they
considered special. At Llyn Cerrig Bach, archaeologists
have found over 150 objects of bronze and iron,
including spears, shields and swords.
• The Celts paid great respect to the human head.
Roman historians say they cut off the heads of
their ancestors, and even their enemies, and
worshipped the skulls.
• The Celtic religion was closely tied to the natural
world and they worshipped gods in sacred places
like lakes, rivers, cliffs and bushes. The moon, the
sun and the stars were especially important - the
Celts thought that there were supernatural forces
in every aspect of the natural world.
Druids
• The druids were very important in Iron Age
society but we know very little about them. They
were the Celts' priests, responsible for all sorts of
religious ceremonies. They were educated and
powerful members of the tribe and were well
respected by the other Celts. The main centre of
the druids in Britain was Anglesey.
• We know a little about the druids from
descriptions by Roman historians. The Romans
tried to limit the powers of the druids because
they were so important in Iron Age society.
Why did the Romans invade?
• The Romans ruled Gaul (Gallia they called it). Today it's France. In
55 B.C. 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. The British Celts fought bravely, and Caesar soon went back
to Gaul.
• Next year, in 54 B.C. the Romans came back. This time Caesar had
30,000 soldiers. They were surprised to see chariots. The Romans
had stopped using chariots in battles. Caesar captured a Celtic hillfort. Then, again, he went away. He did not think Britain was worth
a long war, and he wanted to get back to Rome.
• Nearly a hundred years later, in A.D. 43, the Romans returned.
Emperor Claudius sent an army to invade Britain. The army had four
legions . This time the Romans conquered the southern half of
Britain, and made it part of the Roman Empire.
• The Romans came to Britain nearly 2000 years
ago and changed our country. Even today,
evidence of the Romans being here, can be
seen in the ruins of Roman buildings, forts,
roads, and baths can be found all over Britain.
• The Romans invaded other countries too. The
Roman Empire covered much of Europe, north
Africa, and the Middle East.
Who were the Romans?
• The Romans lived in Rome, a city in the centre
of the country of Italy .
Who founded Rome?
• According to the Roman legend, Romulus was the
founder of Rome. Romulus and his twin brother Remus
were the sons of the God Mars. When they were very
young they were abandoned by the banks of the River
Tiber and left to fend for themselves. Luckily for them
they were found by a she-wolf who took pity on them
fed them with her milk. The boys were later found by a
shepherd who raised them. The boys grew up to be
very strong and clever and they decided to build a
town on the spot where the Shepherd had found
them. They named their town Rome
When did the Romans invade Britain?
• First invasion - Caesar's first raid
• In August 55 B.C. (55 years before Jesus was born) the
Roman general, Emperor Julius Caesar invaded Britain. He
took with him two Roman legions. After winning several
battles against the Celtic tribes (Britons) in south-east
England he returned to France.
• Second invasion - Caesar's second raid
• The following summer (in 54 B.C.) Caesar came to Britain
again landing at Walmer near Deal in Kent. This time he
brought with him no fewer than five legions (30,000 foot
soldiers) and 2,000 cavalrymen (horse riders). This time the
Romans crossed the River Thames. After more fighting, the
British tribes promised to pay tribute to Rome and were
then left in peace for nearly a century.
• Third and final invasion
• Nearly one hundred years later, in 43 A.D. (43
years after Jesus was born), Emperor Claudius
organised the final and successful Roman
invasion of Britain. General Aulus Plautius led
four legions with 25,000 men, plus an equal
number of auxiliary soldiers. They crossed the
Channel in three divisions, landing at
Richborough, Dover, and Lympne.
Why did the Romans invade Britain?
• Why the Romans came to Britain is not quite
certain. Two reasons have been suggested:
• The Romans were cross with Britain for
helping the Gauls (now called the French)
fight against the Roman general Julius Caesar.
• They came to Britain looking for riches - land,
slaves, and most of all, iron, lead, zinc, copper,
silver and gold.
How long did the Romans stay in Britain?
• The Romans remained in Britain from 43 AD to
410 AD. That is almost four hundred years
(four centuries).
Why did the Romans leave Britain?
• Their homes in Italy were being attacked by
fierce tribes and every soldier was needed.
What did the Romans call London?
• The Romans called London 'Londinium'.
• The River Thames was quick way to transport
goods between Britain and the Continent. The
Romans saw this and built the town of
Londinium around the river's main crossing
point.
Why was the Roman Empire
important?
• The Romans, even today, play an important
part in our lives. Many of the things we do or
have originated from the Romans.
The Romans gave us
• Language
The language we used today was developed from the
Romans. The Romans spoke and wrote in Latin and many of
our words are based on Latin words.
• The Calendar
Did you know that the calendar we use today is more than
2,000 years old? It was started by Julius Caesar, a Roman
ruler. It is based on the movement of the earth around the
sun, and so is called the 'solar calendar.' The solar calendar
has 365 days a year, and 366 days every leap year, or every
fourth year. The names of our months are taken from the
names of Roman gods and rulers. The month 'July,' in fact,
is named after Julius Caesar himself!
• Laws and a legal system
The laws and ways we determine what to do with
someone who is accused of breaking a law came
originally from the Roman Empire.
• The Census
The Roman Empire was huge and included millions of
people living over a large area. How did they keep track
of all these people? Easy! They counted them! The
Roman Empire began the practice of taking a census,
or a 'count,' of all the people within its boundaries
every so often. Today, many countries like ours take a
census every 10 years.
The Romans also gave us:
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straight roads
central heating
concrete
aqueducts (bridges for water)
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN
ENGLAND
• The first evidence of Christianity in England is
from the late 2nd century AD. Roman Britain
was a cosmopolitan place. Merchants form all
aver the empire settled there and soldiers
from many countries served there so we will
never know who firs introduced Christianity to
England.
THE ANGLO- SAXONS
• The term Anglo-Saxon is a relatively modern
one. It refers to settlers from the German
regions of Angeln and Saxony, who made their
way over to Britain after the fall of the Roman
Empire around AD 410
• Most of the information we have about the
Anglo – Saxons comes from the Anglo – Saxon
Chronicle, a yera by year account of all the
major events of the time. Among other things
it describes the rise and fall of the bishops and
kings and the important battles of the period.
It begins with the story of Hengist and Horsa
in AD 449
• Anglo – Saxon rule came to an end in 1066,
soon after the death of Edward the Confessor,
who had no heir. He had supposedly willed
the kingdom to William of Normandy, but also
seemed to favour Harold Godwinson as his
successor.