Who were the Celts?
- The Celts were a number of tribes who had similar languages and religions.
- They lived in Western and Central Europe, including Britain and Ireland.
- They lived in Britain from roughly 750BC to AD43. This is during the end of the Bronze Age and through the Iron age until the Roman invasion of Britain.
Watch: What was life like for the Celts?
What kind of people were the Celts?
The Celts' society was full of warriors and they were good at fighting.
They lived in clans that belonged to a larger tribe. Often tribes would fight against each other.
Their life was based around farming. They made food to eat and to trade with other tribes.
Homes were in small settlements in the countryside.
They kept animals for both food and to make clothing from their hides.
Watch: What were Celtic homes like?
How do we know about the Celts?
We know about the Celtic tribes in Britain because archaeologists have found relics.
We also know about them because other people wrote about them at the time.
The Roman Emperor Julius Caesar wrote about the Celts in battle.
He wrote that they painted themselves blue from head-to-toe, using woad, and screamed as they ran in to battle.
Remember that this writing was not always accurate.
The Romans described the Celts as barbarians as they wanted to be viewed as the civilised people invading Britain.
Watch: What the Greeks wrote about the Celts
Activity: Celts in Britain quiz
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