Iron Age Britain and Roman Conquest Quiz

Life in Iron Age Britain and the Roman Conquest

• The period before the Roman conquest of Britain is known as the Iron Age due to the use of iron tools and weapons.
• People lived in tribes, each with its own land, and were led by a king or queen and chieftains.
• Some tribes lived in scattered villages and farms, while others lived in hill forts.
• By the time of the Roman invasion, some tribes had formed sprawling settlements for commerce and industry, but they were not towns in the Roman or modern sense.
• The Romans built towns linked by a network of roads to unify Britain after the invasion.
• The province of Britain was divided into areas called cīvitātēs, each with a capital town that served as the center of regional government.
• The Roman army was divided into units called legions, with about 5,000 infantry and 120 cavalry in each.
• The invading legions built straight, paved roads to move quickly and bring supplies to major ports, army camps, and Roman towns inland.
• Life in different British tribes varied greatly, with some having close contact with Gaul and being influenced by the Roman world.
• Some tribes quickly accepted Roman rule and began to adopt a Roman lifestyle, building large towns on the Roman model.
• A province was a region conquered by the Romans, with a governor in charge and Roman laws enforced.
• The term "Celtic" is used for the people living in Iron Age Britain before the Roman conquest, who spoke a Celtic language and had a distinctive artistic style.