Many hill forts have their origin in the Neolithic period and were originally not used as centres of trade and dwelling but instead to pen and protect agricultural animals, which were an invaluable source of both food and drink to the people. Hill forts were raised defended settlements, often built on cliff tops or large knolls and spurs, that provided trading centres and secure enclosed habitats for people during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Many can be seen around the countryside today. Contrary to many historical sources, the Celtic people were – in many ways – a very civilised and advanced group of tribal societies. KS2 History - Hill Fort Worksheet This worksheet tasks pupils with labelling the different feature of an Iron Age Hill Fort, along with a completed version for reference. Access off A354. Maiden Castle in Dorset. A full lesson for KS2 introducing Iron Age hillforts. Wrong. Engineers built their forts on modified terrain -often choosing the summit or the side of a low hill, near a river or stream. The picture below is a reconstruction of what another Celtic hill fort in Dorset, Hambledon Hill, might have looked like. It was surrounded by enclosure of stakes. Boudicca's Revolt. }, Time limit is exhausted. ramps and ditches, which were supposed to delay and confuse attackers. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. function() { .hide-if-no-js { The archaeological record for these roundhouses is incomplete due to the decomposition of organic materials and the removal and reuse of their contents elsewhere. While the most famous ones (like Ingleborough, Castle Bank and Old Oswes… These fortifications were hardly impregnable however, and a number of invading forces – such as the Belgic invasions of Britain in the 1st Century BC – took many of them under sustained pressure and either inhabited them themselves, or burnt and sacked them. eight Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This discovery had a dramatic impact on everyday life. In times of attack from another Celtic tribe, or from the ancient Romans, the fine retreated to a hill fort, which was built on top of a hill. Homework help on the history of Celts, the Iron Age facts, Celtic life and Boudicca. Hill forts (sometimes spelled hillforts) are essentially fortified residences, single households, elite residences, whole villages, or even urban settlements built on the tops of hills and/or with defensive structures such as enclosures, moats, palisades or ramparts--despite the name not all "hill forts" were built on hills. Most Celts lived in scattered farming communities surrounded by a bank with wooden fencing and a ditch to keep out intruders and wild animals. ramps and ditches, which were supposed to delay and confuse attackers.  ×  Iron Age Hillforts Lesson Plan 5 - Year 5 & 6 History. Hill Forts The time of the "Celtic conversion" of Britain saw a huge growth in the number of hill forts throughout the region. function() { ); It is said that the first Iron Age hill forts built in Great Britain were made in 800BC. The largest, and most spectacular, hill fort in Britain is at Maiden Castle in Dorset. Jonathan West from Butser Ancient Farm talks about the Celtic way of life. Here are some facts about Iron Age hill forts (sometimes referred to as hillforts) in Britain. ‘Maiden’ derives from the Celtic ‘Mai Dun’ which means ‘great hill’. An iron age hill fort with an intricate maze of . The Celtic tribes lived in scattered villages. Ye olde – The ‘golden age’ for hill fort construction was between 500 BC and AD 50. Indeed, the main structure that characterizes most hill forts is its ramparts. Weapons and Warriors. }, (function( timeout ) { Some are interpreted as being defensive, some for settlement, some for storing grain and others simply for showing off. Farmers grew wheat and barley, and reared sheep, goats, pigs and cattle. As well as small communities, there were also large settlements and heavily defended forts. Free Online Games about Scotland for Kids Please reload the CAPTCHA. What was life like in an Iron Age hill fort? Hill forts first appeared in Wessex in the Late Bronze Age, but only become common in the period between 550 and 400 BC. Aerial Iron age hill forts and settlements of the Britain . ); Their Hill-fort at Worlebury (Weston Super Mare) was most likely destroyed by Vespasian’s Legion II as a result of their rebellion. To explore where hill forts are built and why they were built in those locations. Crickley Hill is an Iron Age site in the Cotswold hills of Gloucestershire. This resource can be used as a labelling exercise to assess pupils’ understanding, as a general resource to support writing or for display. Time limit is exhausted. They cover large areas of land and are surrounded by big earth banks and ditches. Oxford … }, Some are ovoid, some are rectilinear, some have single ramparts (known as univallate hillforts) and some have many (known as multivallate). Celtic Hill Forts. Sometimes groups of houses were built on the top of hills. Their construction came to a peak in Britain during the last 500 years BC, where numerous improvements were made to their defensive structures – such as extra lines of earthworks, stockades and defensive walls – due to the multiple invasions the country was subjected to that culminated in the Roman occupation from AD 43 onwards. The name Maiden Castle may be a modern construction meaning that the hill fort looks impregnable, or it could derive from the British Celtic mai-dun, meaning a “great hill.” Maiden Castle – Image Credit : Google Earth Hill forts were raised defended settlements, often built on cliff tops or large knolls and spurs, that provided trading centres and secure enclosed habitats for people during the Bronze and Iron … It ended in 43 CE. But if there’s one thing they have in common, it’s that they’re all ontop of hills, right? Providing invaluable defensive strongholds, hill forts were a common feature of Bronze and Iron Age Europe. grew wheat and barley, and reared sheep, goats, pigs and cattle. This large raised hill fort was first laid out back in 600 BC over the remains of an earlier Neolithic settlement. Take part in a tribal discussion on the implications of going in to battle. Iron was tougher than bronze, so the people of Iron Age became capable to make sharp tools like swords and spears. Usually formed of huge earthen banks and ditches, hillforts come in all shapes and sizes. if ( notice ) Harder than bronze, people could make steel by heating iron and carbon together. These pictures show reconstructions of Celtic farmsteads. Typically they date to the Bronze and Iron Ages. Children will: Understand how Celtic tribes fought and defended themselves. Ideal for helping with Key Stage 2 of the History National Curriculum Unit 6B: Why have people invaded and settled in Britain in the past? Iron Age eBook. Roman strongholds were built by a specialist corp that included a chief engineer; much of the manual work was undertaken by soldiers. primaryhomeworkhelp.com, Woodlands Junior School, Hunt Road Tonbridge Kent TN10 4BB UK. By the third century B.C., the Celts controlled much of the European continent north of the Alps mountain range, including present-day Ireland and Great Britain.It is these islands off Europe’s western coast in which Celtic culture was allowed to survive and thrive, as the Roman Empire expanded on the European continent. KS2 History - Hill Fort Worksheet This worksheet tasks pupils with labelling the different feature of an Iron Age Hill Fort, along with a completed version for reference.  =  eight They often fought naked. 224 - 220 BC - Rome conquers the Celts. Stories of fairies and elves. .hide-if-no-js { The Iron Age Themed Research Map. Here are some facts about Iron Age hill forts (sometimes referred to as hillforts) in Britain. The online atlas has been created following a study by researchers from University College Cork, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Oxford. The largest and most complex Iron Age hill fort in Britain today is Maiden Castle in Dorset. To imagine what life might have been like in an Iron Age hill fort The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class. Defensive – Alfred the Great built a series of hill forts along the coastal hills of Wessex to guard against Viking attack. The Celts KS2. (function( timeout ) { The Celts KS2 for kids learning at Primary School. The spellings "hill fort", "hill-fort" and "hillfort" are all used in the archaeological literature. Celts also raised goats that were essential for milk. Some are interpreted as being defensive, some for settlement, some for storing grain and others simply for showing off. The Iron Age began around the year 500 BCE, and in Britain, it arrived around 800BCE. Please reload the CAPTCHA. Iron Age Weapons (KS2): Fun Facts And Activities. The largest and most complex of all Iron Age hill forts in Britain is Maiden Castle, located in Dorchester, Dorset. Please reload the CAPTCHA. 54 BC. display: none !important; It is situated just 2 miles south of Dorchester in Dorset. The banks originally had strong wooden walls on top, but they have rotted away. Throughout the present Celtic lands and in many of those areas once lived in by Celtic tribes, hill forts can be found. By 200 BCE their civilization stretched across much of northern and western Europe. Colchester was one such large Celtic settlement. Widespread – There are the remains of over 2,000 Iron Age hill forts in Britain today. timeout It's the largest hill fort in Sussex and has a history dating back over 5,000 years. Julius Caesar leads the Romans in the Gallic Wars Julius Caesar fails in attempt to invade Britain. }, Use in conjunction with our Hill Fort Activity Sheets.Tags in this resource: Hands-on-Potters-Wheel-Clay-Sculpting-KS2.pngPotters-Wheel-Clay-Sculpting-KS2.pngSculpting-Hands-Clay-Pottery-KS2.png The smoke from the fire escaped through a hole in the roof. two var notice = document.getElementById("cptch_time_limit_notice_29"); Gaul is taken by the Romans. Time limit is exhausted. Usually they followed the contours of a hill, consisting of one or more lines of earthworks, with stockades or defensive walls, and external ditches. There were huts and cattle enclosures standing ready at all times. Iron-Age Celtic tribes built strongly defended hill forts, which could be like small towns. Free Online Games about the Ancient Celts for Kids. Use in conjunction with our Hill Fort Activity Sheets.Tags in this resource: Hands-on-Potters-Wheel-Clay-Sculpting-KS2.pngPotters-Wheel-Clay-Sculpting-KS2.pngSculpting-Hands-Clay-Pottery-KS2.png Perhaps one of […] It is situated just 2 miles south of Dorchester in Dorset. These are called hill-forts. Maiden Castle is an Iron Age hill fort 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) south west of Dorchester, in the English county of Dorset. From 700BC, iron became very popular in its use, which the Celtics also made use of upon their arrival in Britain in 500BC from Central Europe. Many people lived in hill forts to keep safe from attacks. Some people can still speak languages that the Celts spoke, Welsh and Gaelic. There remains much evidence of Iron Age settlement in Cumbria, with hill forts, such as those at Castle Crag in Borrowdale and Dunmallard Hill, near Pooley Bridge, Ullswater. 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