TRIBE CARD 1

You are a group of families from the Silures tribe looking to settle in an area. You want to build a hillfort in a location that fits your needs.

They are (in order of importance):

1) Protect our families! - There are rumours of an invading army from afar. 2) A good view! – We need to be high up so we can see if anyone is coming. 3) Good resources close by! – We need lots of wood for our hillfort (and stone too if possible!)

 Look at the sites given on the map.  Use the aerial photograph, map and notes given to ‘score’ each site.  In your group, choose your preferred site.  Can you explain why you chose this site? The Silures – What the experts think….

The Silures tribe were an actual tribe living in the area we now call south and south east Wales.

Their neighbours to the north were the Ordovices of central Wales and to the east lay the Dobunni.

The tribal name Silures is thought to mean ‘the people of the Rocks’ (based around the mountainous region in which they lived).

Their hillforts show influences from south west England.

Their tribal capital may have been Llanmelin Wood hillfort in Gwent, which lies close to the town that the Romans eventually built for them at Caerwent. Its Roman name was Venta Silurum, or the ‘Market Town of the Silures’.

The Silures were a powerful and warlike tribe of ancient Britain and they made a fierce resistance to the Roman conquest around AD 48, with the assistance of Caratacus. TRIBE CARD 2

You are a group of families from the Demetae tribe looking to settle in an area. You want to build a hillfort in a location that fits your needs.

They are (in order of importance):

1)Land to farm! – We need space to grow our crops. Can you find fertile soil (sides of rivers are good places to look!) 2)Shelter! – Is there a site where we are protected from the weather? 3)Water! - Can you find a site where we have a good water supply for our crops? If it acts as a defence too, even better!

 Look at the sites given on the map.  Use the aerial photograph, map and notes given to ‘score’ each site.  In your group, choose your preferred site.  Can you explain why you chose this site? The Demetae – What the experts think….

The Demetae tribe were an actual tribe living in the area we now call south-west Wales. They gave their name to the county of Dyfed.

Experts think that their name derives from ‘the supreme cutters-down’ meaning they were good with swords.

Their neighbours to the east were the Silures of south and south east Wales and to the north east lay the Ordovices of central Wales.

Their hillforts show influences from south west England. Some forts were perched along the dangerous sea cliffs of Pembrokeshire. TRIBE CARD 3

You are a group of families from the Deceangi tribe looking to settle in an area. You want to build a hillfort in a location that fits your needs.

They are (in order of importance):

1)Space for the animals! – We need land to graze our cattle. 2)Good resources close by! – We’ll need wood to build areas for our animals. 3)Water! – Can you find a site where we have a good water supply? If it acts as a defence too, even better!

 Look at the sites given on the map.  Use the aerial photograph, map and notes given to ‘score’ each site.  In your group, choose your preferred site.  Can you explain why you chose this site? The Deceangi – What the experts think….

The Deceangi tribe were an actual tribe living in the area we now call north east Wales although some researchers believe that their lands might have extended further west into north-west Wales. Their neighbours to the south were the Ordovices.

The Deceangi lived mainly in hillforts. A chain of settlements was built along the length of the Clwydian Range.

Unlike the Silures and the Ordovices, the Deceangi did not put up major resistance to the invading Romans. TRIBE CARD 4

You are a group of families from the Ordovices tribe looking to settle in an area. You want to build a hillfort in a location that fits your needs.

They are (in order of importance):

1)Protect our families! - There are rumours that neighbouring tribes are moving onto Ordovice land! 2)Keep them out! – Can you find a site that would be easy for us to defend? 3)A good view! – We need to be high up so we can see if anyone is coming.

 Look at the sites given on the map.  Use the aerial photograph, map and notes given to ‘score’ each site.  In your group, choose your preferred site.  Can you explain why you chose this site? The Ordovices – What the experts think….

The Ordovices tribe were an actual tribe living in the area we now call central and north-west Wales.

They were bordered to the north-east by the Deceangi tribe, to the south-east by the Silures and to the south-west by the Demetae. Their lands were covered with strongly defended hillforts.

The Ordovices were farmers and shepherds but had a strong military tradition and lived in fortified strongholds and hillforts. They were among the few British tribes that resisted the Roman invasion. The resistance was mainly organized by the Celtic leader Caratacus.