Education & Children’s Services Group

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The CeltsThe CeltsThe CeltsThe CeltsFind out about

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Who are the Celts?

The Welsh are descendents of people from the past we call the Iron Age Celts.

When did they live?

Find out by looking at the timeline and reading the information at<http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/factfile/index.shtml>

Can you draw your own timeline?

How do we know about the Celts (read the information underneath the timeline)

Where did they live?

The Celts lived in houses (though they were not like our houses!) which were grouped together in hillforts.

There were lots of hillforts. Many were in Wales.

The Houses

Celtic houses were called roundhouses, and it is easy to

see where they get their name!

Roundhouses

There is a reconstructed Iron Age roundhouse, built on a hillfort site in Castell Henllys, Pembrokeshire.

Find out how the Celts built their roundhouses here

<http://www.castellhenllys.com/english/howtobuild.htm>

Click on the link at the bottom of the webpage to see an animation showing how they were made.

Describe how roundhouses were made. Make a model of a roundhouse.

Inside a Roundhouse

Read about what it was like inside a roundhouse at these websites:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/factfile/homes.shtmlhttp://www.nmgw.ac.uk/dynamic/www.php/414

Use this information to answer the questions on the next slide

What was inside a roundhouse?

Use your answers to these questions to write a paragraph about roundhouses.

What was a firedog?

How did Celts cook their food?

What did they have to do to make bread?

What else would have been inside the house?

Family Life

Click on the cartoons here to find out more about family life in Celtic times.

http://www.nmgw.ac.uk/education/forfun/celticfamily/

Describe the work of a smith (or blacksmith).

What sort of foods would Celts have eaten?

Can you finish Nain’s story?

Clothes and Appearance

You can find out more about what we think Celts look like here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/factfile/clothes.shtml

Draw a picture of a Celtic family. The picture on the next slide may help you.The “A Tale of Weaving” story here helps you understand how they made their clothes:http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/factfile/clothes.shtml

Celtic home life

Hillforts

The Celts built their roundhouses in forts to protect themselves from enemies.

Most of these forts were built on hills. Can you think why this would have offered protection?

More about hillforts

Click on the ‘Build a Hillfort’ link on this webpage to try creating your own hillfort. Remember, you have to make it strong and safe!

<http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/>

Draw a plan for a strong, secure hillfort, based on what you have learned. The plan of Castell Henllys on the next slide may help you get started.

Castell Henllys

Celts at Work

You have already found out something about the work of the blacksmith.

Smelting (melting the metal ready for

shaping).Shaping the

metal

Celts at Work

There was always work to be done around the hillfort.

Look at the pictures of some of these jobs on the next slide.

Can you work out why each job was important to the Celts

For example,

Blacksmith – makes weapons and shields, for protection. Makes firedogs to help with cooking.

Celts at Work

Ploughing

Pottery

Woodwork Weaving

More about jobs and tasks

Were you right about the jobs done by Celtic people?

You can find out, and learn about more jobs, here:< http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/prehistory/ironage_tasks_gallery.shtml >

See if you can find out what these men are doing.

What did they look like?

The pictures of the Celts at work provide an idea of the sort of clothes they wore.

You can find out more here:<http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/factfile/clothes.shtml>

<http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/activities/weaving.shtml>

<http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/prehistory/ironage_intro_05.shtml> Design some Celtic clothing.

Make your design out of fabric and dress a doll or card figure.

What do you remember?

So far you have discovered a lot of information about Celtic everyday life?

How much of it do you remember?

You can test yourself here:<

http://www.ngflcymru.org.uk/vtc/Phase3delivery/Wales/History/Keystage2/TheCeltsinWales/Whatwasitliketo/Onlineactivity/ >

Enemies

Although the Celts were farmers, life was not always peaceful in the villages.Follow Caradog here <http://www.nmgw.ac.uk/education/forfun/celticfamily/car_0.shtml

to find out what sort of things threatened the Celtic way of life.Copy the headings and complete the table:Threats to the Celtic way of life

How the Celts protected themselves

Celts at War

When the Romans invaded

Britain, they became the Celts’ bitter enemies for many years.

There were many wars

between the Celts and the

Romans.

Celtic Warriors

Find out more about Celtic warriors here:< http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/factfile/warriors.shtml >

Also go to <

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/index.shtml?1 > and look at: The Smartest Warrior and The War Chariot.

Bran is a Celt, from a tribe called the Silures. Tadius is a Roman legionary. They have different views and experiences. Compare them here:

<http://www.nmgw.ac.uk/dynamic/www.php/415>

<http://www.nmgw.ac.uk/dynamic/www.php/417>

Celt or Roman?

Choose one and write about a typical day.

Explain why you would rather be this person. What are the differences between the lives of the two?

(You can find out more about life in the Roman army here:

< http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/romans/army.shtml > )

Would you rather be a Celtic warrior or a Roman soldier?

Boudicca

Celtic women often fought alongside the men. One of the most famous Celtic warriors was the wife of the leader of the Iceni tribe. Her name was Boudicca.Find out about her here:< http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/romans/rebel.shtml >

< http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/walk/timestrip/cara_boud.shtml >

Draw a picture of Boudicca on her chariot going into

battle.

Roman Rule

Although the Celts fought hard, the Romans were very organised and eventually defeated them. The Celts then lived under Roman rule.

Read Tadia’s story to find out how the Romans and Celts began to live in peace:

< http://www.nmgw.ac.uk/dynamic/www.php/416 >

The Romans taught the Celts in Britain many things and brought many inventions with them. How many can you list?

Religion and Belief

The Celts worshipped lots of different gods and goddesses. Their

priests were called Druids.

Find out more on this page:< http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/factfile/religion.shtml >

You can also read a story about a druid on: < http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/index.shtml?1 > click on Dream for a Druid

Back to that jewellery. . .

By now you should have discovered that the Celts were great craftsmen and very clever at making things. They are called the Iron Age Celts because of the work they did with metal. Lots of metalwork has been discovered in Rhondda Cynon Taf at a site which has now become famous. Look at this page to find out what it is called:

< http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/factfile/art.shtml >

Llyn Fawr

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/sites/celts/pages/llynfawr.shtml

What was found at Llyn Fawr when the artificial lake was being created?

What does this tell us about the area?

How does this help us discover where the jewellery you found came from?

Celtic Metalwork

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/index.shtml?1

Go to the site above and click on Design A Torc to try designing your own Iron Age jewellery.

Your teacher might let you make your design. (You could use clay, salt-dough, wire and foil, wire and mod-roc,

etc.)

Congratulations!You have gathered enough information

about the Celts to be considered an expert.

Have you written your factsheet yet?Yes

(Click below)

Not yet

(Click below)

It`s the last thing you have to do! Remember...

Click the tick on the previous slide when you have finished it.

Gather all your information together and decide which you should use.

Decide on a layout and subheadings for your factsheet.

Put together and present the factsheet to experts who will decide whether the museum should accept your research.

Click this button to go back to the information about Celts.

Well Done!The museum staff throw a party

in your honour!