PREHISTORIC BRITAIN WHAT IS PREHISTORIC?

Prehistory is the time before written records began. It begins when the earliest hunter-gatherers came to Britain around 450,000 BC. HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE IF THERE ARE NO WRITTEN RECORDS? The things we know about this time period comes from artefacts and monuments that archaeologists have discovered.

Prehistory is sometimes referred to as the Stone Age and can be split into three distinct time periods: 1. Stone Age 2. Age 3. Iron Age

During this time period there was immense change. People developed from nomadic hunter-gatherers to highly-organised people capable of erecting monuments which survive today. THE STONE AGE

The Stone Age is split into three separate time periods:

Old Stone Age Palaeolithic 450,000 BC – 10,000 BC People would have used stone tools- artefacts from this time period are rare and we have no evidence of settlements or monuments.

Middle Stone Age Mesolithic 10,000 BC- 14,500BC This period began after the last ice age when Britain became an island. Tools became more complex and there is evidence of hunter- gatherer campsites but these are very rare.

New Stone Age Neolithic 4,500 BC- 2,300BC People began to become more settled and we see the beginning of farming in England. Plants and animals became domesticated and we see the first pottery. Monuments have been found at this time and they are called henges. STONE AGE ARTEFACTS

Palaeolithic Hand axe found in Stonehenge- Neolithic Hampshire monument

Neolithic pots THE

The Bronze Age spanned from 2,300-700 BC. Stone tools were still used but people began to make tools from Bronze. jewellery from this time period has been discovered by archaeologists.

People lived in more established settlements called roundhouses.

The monuments archaeologists have found belonging to this time period are called round barrows. BRONZE AGE ARTEFACTS

Bronze Age Mold Cape: Discovered in

Bronze Age round barrow Bronze Age roundhouse IRON AGE

The Iron Age lasted from 700 BC – AD 43. Iron was the primary material used for making tools. Gold and other metals were used for coins and jewellery.

Like the Bronze Age people Iron Age people would have lived in roundhouses but these would have been much larger.

Iron Age people build large hillforts. IRON AGE ARTEFACTS

Iron Age artefacts

Iron Age Torc

Iron Age Roundhouse Iron Age hillfort- Maiden Castle Dorset