Lecture 2: The Earliest Settlers of Britain Lecture Notes

**Lecture 2:** **The Earliest Settlers of Britain** I. **Introduction** II. **Prehistoric Britain** A. **Stone Age** - **Palaeolithic: [Old Stone Age]** (c. 800,000 BC -- 10,500 BC) the earliest human bones found in Britain are 500,000 years old. The first people were probably Palaeo...

**Lecture 2:** **The Earliest Settlers of Britain** I. **Introduction** II. **Prehistoric Britain** A. **Stone Age** - **Palaeolithic: [Old Stone Age]** (c. 800,000 BC -- 10,500 BC) the earliest human bones found in Britain are 500,000 years old. The first people were probably Palaeolithic **nomads** from mainland Europe, who were characterized by their use of rudimentary stone implements. They travelled to Britain by land and sea, especially at those times when the country was joined to the European land mass. - **Mesolithic**: **[Middle Stone Age]** (c. 10,500 -- 4500 BC) the climate warmed, cutting Britain off from Europe. Hunter-gatherers adapted to changing food sources and developed tools like microliths. Some permanent settlements, such as Star Carr, appeared. - **Neolithic: [New Stone Age]** (c. 4500 -- 2200 BC) Farming was introduced, leading to more permanent settlements and environmental management. Early monuments like barrows and stone circles (e.g., Stonehenge) were built. Pottery and polished tools became common, and villages emerged. B. **BRONZE AGE (2300--800 BC)** In about 2300 BC the first metal weapons and jewellery began to arrive in Britain, along with a new kind of pottery known as **Beaker**. People were buried with these objects in individual graves, some of which were covered with round barrows. At first the metal used was copper, but by about 2200 BC bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) was being worked in Britain. C. **IRON AGE (800 BC--AD 50)** During this period iron emerged as a key material for making tools. Farming productivity increased and the population grew. Regional groups of people -- often known as tribes -- emerged. In the late Iron Age, there was growing contact with the Roman Empire which had extended to include Gaul (modern France). **Conclusion**:The early settlement and invasion movements substantially affected the developing fabric of British life and formed the first foundations of the modern state Resources British Museum websites