The Celts lived in Britain and Ireland during the Iron Age, settling in roundhouses made of wood, clay, and thatch. They lived in family groups within settlements and hill forts for protection. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of Celtic culture through accidental findings like a body from 2000 years ago that still had food in its stomach. The Celts were farmers, traders, and warriors trained to fight with shields, swords, spears, and chariots. They had a pagan religion with many gods and druids who performed sacrifices and divination.

1. The Celts
The First People on the Islands…

2. The name 'Iron Age' comes from the
discovery of a new metal called iron.

3. Celtic Tribes in Britain and Ireland

4. How do we know information about
the Celts? Archaeologists are
always trying to find
evidence but
sometimes it gets
found accidently.
Some workmen came
across a body. The
man had been killed
2000 years ago – they
still found food in his
stomach! His last meal
was bread.

5. The Celts
The Celts lived across
most of Europe during
the Iron Age.
People had lived in
Britain for thousands
of years before the
Romans arrived.
The Celts lived in
roundhouses with
thatched roofs of straw
or heather (plant that
grows on the hills of
northern Britain). In
places where there
were plenty of trees
the walls were made
out of wattle and daub
(hazel trees with clay
and straw).

6. In the North of Britain
they used large stones
and clay to make the
walls.
This is a roundhouse
being built. There are
poles to hold up the
thatched roof.
The settlements are
protected by a stone
wall with wood.

8. The settlements
Families lived together
in settlements:
children, parents,
grandparents, aunts,
uncles and cousins.
The roundhouses were
built in groups. The
walls protected them
from wolves and wild
boar.
Sometimes groups of
houses were built on
the top of hills. These
were called hill-forts.

9. For defensive purposes, the Celtic
village was sometimes made part of a
hill fort.

10. Celts and personality
• Emotional, passionate, heroic, wild, and
drunken
 Sensual, artistic, hospitable, instinctual
 Proud, inventive, battle-loving
 They were farmers and traders and also did
some agriculture
 They traded metals, salt, pottery, glass and
coin ornaments

11. However, there was always the constant danger of
warfare with another tribe. Therefore, Celtic men were
trained as warriors.

12. Their basic weapons were the shield and
the long sword

13. They also had cavalry, who could carry multiple
spears. But, they were best known for their skill
with the chariot.

14. Religion
Believed in the “otherworld”
Believed in many Gods (pagans)
The circle on the cross is the halo of
the Christ figure

15. Sacrifice
 In battle they would cut peoples heads off and carry it
around. They were trophies to them, which
symbolized courage and valour
 “The sacrificed individual would be stabbed in the
back or the breast, and then studied, as the moment of
death was the point in which the earthly world of the
profane meets the sacred otherworld. The message
would then be returned to the examiners in the ways in
which the dying would pass on.”

16. Druids
 Druids “very knowledgeable one” were important to the
celtic culture
 They could stop a battle
 Responsibilities included: teaching the religious doctrine,
medicine, civil justice, sacrifice, divination, and care of
temples. To become a druid, school would take up to 20
years because it all had to be memorized
 They performed animal and human sacrifices and practiced
divination and other forms of magic

17. The Celts were happy in their island home. But,
everything was about to change with the coming
of the Romans…