This document provides a brief history of the occupation and invasion of England: 1) The earliest inhabitants were Iberians from Spain around 3000 BC who had no written history and used stone tools. They were later mostly slain when Celtic tribes invaded from 500 BC onward with superior weapons. 2) Powerful Celtic tribes like the Picts, Scots, and Britons then settled across the island, with the Picts and Scots in modern day Scotland and Ireland and the Britons holding most of the southern territory now called Britain. 3) Celtic culture included tall blue-eyed warriors ruled by chiefs who lived communally and worshipped nature, with mythology and storytelling being important.

1. The History of Occupation and
Invasion of the Island known as
England

2. Vocabulary
• Superior
– Higher in rank, status, or quality: "a superior
officer".
• Slain
– Kill (a person or animal) in a violent way
• To Settle
– To establish as a resident or residents in a new
place.

4. In the Beginning
• First peoples are thought to be Iberians (from
Spain)
– Not Much is known about these people and their
way of life.
• They had no written history
• We know they first inhabited the British isles
around 3000 B.C.
• Used Stone weapons and tools

5. Here Come the Celts
• During the period from the 6th to the 3rd Century
B.C. a people called the Celts spread across
Europe from east to west.
– Arrived in Britain around 500 B.C.
• There were many Celtic tribes.
• Many of these tribes invaded Britain.
• Iberians were unable to fight back against the
Celts because of the Celt’s superior weapons.
• Most of the Iberians were slain in the conflict.
– Some mixed with the Celts.
• The Modern day Welshman/woman is a
descendant of the Celts people.

7. The Tribes that Invaded
• The tribes called the Picts and the Scots settled in
what is now Ireland and SCOTtland.
• A powerful tribe called the Britons held most of the
country.
– The southern half of the island was named after them:
Briton.
– The Famous King Arthur was, according to mythology, A
great British(Celtic Briton) King who fought off the
Saxons invasion in the 5th Century AD.

10. Culture of the Celtic Peoples
• The people were tall and blue-eyed.
– They had long mustaches but no beards.
• Lived in tribes and were ruled by chiefs.
• Lived in villages and had no towns.
• They worshiped Nature.
– Had many gods and believed in spirits
– Their religious leaders were called druids.
• Lived under communal land system of farming.
• Mythology and story telling was very important to their
culture.
– Beowulf

12. Celtic Symbols

13. Review Questions
• What do we know about the Iberians?
• Who were the main tribes who invaded the
British Isles?
• Where did each tribe settle?
• Which tribe was the most powerful?
• Describe the look of a Celtic man
• Describe the culture and traditions of the
Celtic People.

14. In-class Activity
Timeline/complete the sentence
• Students get a sheet of paper with part of a
sentence written and have to match it with the
appropriate time period and correlating sentence.
• 3000BC- [The Iberians inhabited][the British isles]
• 6-3 cent. BC- The Celts Spread][Across Europe]
– Tribes that came to England?
• [The Picts and Scotts settled][In what is now Scotland and
Ireland]
• [the Britons held][most of the country]
• 5th cent.- [King Arthur][fought back the Saxons
invasion]

15. Who Will it Be? Home Task
• Write at most 20 sentences about a particular
part of Celtic history that interest you the
most.