As with all the “periods” in history this era did not start exactly at that time but was a gradual process. The impact at first of iron would have been slight with most communities carrying on with making and using bronze articles. Gradually however iron spread across the land, firstly with imported articles and then making their own as the technology arrived.A major difference that bronze and iron had on communities was that with bronze, traders travelled the land with lumps of bronze making articles on the spot as requested, but to work iron you have to have very high temperatures, so forges had to be set up as a permanent structure which became part of each community.
It is thought that the Celts originated in Central Europe , and expanded in all directions, conquering and eventually settling down, but the expanding Roman Empire gradually took over many of their lands, including, finally, Britain.
The Celts became skilled warriors, loved feasting , drinking and fighting. They were also skilled craftsmen in their own right, making beautiful articles especially in iron, bronze and gold.
Early Celtic culture did not have or need coinage as they were always on the move, and their most important possessions were their cattle and gold. But in the 1st/2nd century BC they started to come into contact with Rome through trade and so coins started to circulate, firstly as tokens and then as actual currency.
In trading with the Romans, they imported large quantities of wine and in return ,supplied them with raw materials and slaves which the Roman Empire always needed. It is thought that the Celts renewed their inter tribal warfare in order to get and sell slaves for this trade.
The Iron Age has always been associated with “Hill forts”, however this term is very misleading as they had been around for a long time before and had been used for a variety of purposes, i.e. gathering and meeting places to conduct business of all sorts, as well as places to live in. It is thought that the Hill forts of the 1st century BC were indeed the final, “super” variety with many layers of earthworks, complicated gateways and large communities living in them. The Romans however overran them with great ease.
The Iron Age was the last “period” in Pre History (i.e. before the Romans came) and after initial uprisings the Celts settled down to become Romano-Celtic citizens, or as we know them “Ancient Britons”.
The next History Group event will be the outing to Portchester Castle on Monday 18/5/09, meeting at 10.30 am in the car park.
Michael Page
