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BritainPrehistorytoRenaissanceTheBogbodies,Druids,Anglo-Saxons,RomansandNormans.TheBeakers2500BCE•WhileChinaandEgyptwereformingtheWorld’sfirstcity-statestheBeakerpeoplearrivedontheBritishIslesfromWesternEurope.•Beakerisanothernameforajarorbottle•Beakertechnologyledtothemeltingoforetocreatebronze(bronzeage)•NowrittenlanguageTheBogPeople•Bodiespreservedintheearth(bogs)tellusaboutpre-historicBritain.•Earliestonefounddatesto5500BCE•ManybogbodiesshowsignsofbeingbrutallykilledOnewellpreservedBogbodyStoneCirclesStonehenge•Startedbeingbuiltaround1500BCE•StandsontheSalisburyPlaintwomiles(threekilometers)westofthetownofAmesbury,Wiltshire,inSouthernEngland•Consistsofaseriesofearth,timber,andstonestructuresthatwererevisedandre-modeledoveraperiodofmorethan1400yearsPossibleusesofStonehenge•Ritualfunctions:sacrificestogods,publicviewingarea,religiousperformance•Astronomicalfunctions:couldbeusedtotellcertainseasonalchanges,eclipsesorotherastronomicalobservations•ThesetwofunctionswereprobablyputtogetherandusedbypriestsasasourceofpowerOver1000stonecirclesinBritainMostarenotaswellpreservedasStonehengeSowhobuiltthestonecircles?•Buildingofcircleslastedthousandsofyears•Notjustonegroupbuiltallthecircles•Thevariedstylesofcirclestestifytothefactthatmanydifferentculturesbuiltthecircles.DRUIDS•AdruidwasamemberofthepriestlyandlearnedclassintheancientCelticsocietiesofBritain•Druidscombinedthedutiesofpriest,judge,scholar,andteacher•Reverenceforaspectsofthenaturalworld,suchastheland,seaandsky•RonaldHuttonpointsoutwecanknowvirtuallynothingofcertaintyabouttheancientDruids,sothat-althoughtheycertainlyexisted-theyfunctionmoreorlessaslegendaryfigures.”DruidscelebratingthesummersolsticeatStonehengeCelts•WecansayCelts(Britons)weretheearliest“civilisation”inBritain•ThecultureoriginatedinEasternEurope•2000BCE,startedrunningoutoftinandbronzeandmovedwestwardeventuallysettlinginGreatBritainaround700BCETheCeltsDistributionofCelticPeopleCeltlifestyle•Huntersandfarmers•Drainedmarshlandtocreatelandforfarming•Knowninhistoryfortheirwarriorprowessandtheirabilitytofrightentheenemythroughshrieksandwails•LittlewrittenhistoryabouttheCelts•Writtenhistorybeginsin55BCEwhentheRomansarrivedinBritain.TheRomansCeltsandRomans•CeltshadtradegoingwithRomewhoruledFrance•55BCEJuliusCaesarwenttoBritainwithanexpeditionbutdidnotstay.HewasbeatenbacktwicebytheCeltickingCunobelinus•TheRomanoccupationofBritainbeganin42AD•RomanEmperorClaudiuswith40,000troopswaseasilyabletobeatCaratacus,aCeltickingCeltsandRomans•RomansdrovemanyoftheCeltstothemountainousareasofScotlandandWales•RomansmodernizedmuchofwhatisnowEngland---builttowns,theatres,buildings,roads,irrigation,sanitation.•Broughteducation,medicine,wine,anorganizedsystemofgovernment,andsilkandcottonfromAsia.Celtresistance•ThoughtheRomanswereneverseriouslythreatenedbytheCelts,therewerealwaysfightsbetweenthetwo•Boudicca60AD:famouswomanCeltgeneralwholeduprisingagainsttheRomans.Lost80.000soldiersBoudiccaBoudicca’sinspiration•BoudiccawasaqueeninEastAngliaandherhusband,thekingruledunderRomanauthority.•WhenherhusbanddiedtheRomanstookoverthekingdom•TheRomansbeatBoudiccaandrapedherdaughters•FormedarmyandmarchedunsuccessfullytoLondonAnglo-SaxonsAnglo-Saxons•410ADRomanshadtodefendtheirEmpirefromGermanictribessotheyhadtomovetroopstootherpartsoftheempire•AfterRomanslefttheCeltswerepreyforPictsandScotsbutnotforlong•CeltsformedalliancewiththeAngles,SaxonsandJutes(Anglo-Saxons)•AfterthistimetheAngloSaxonConquesttookplaceinBritainforover100years.ThiswasthestartofwhatwecallTheDarkAgesAnglo-Saxons•CeltssettledinScotland,IrelandandWaleswhileAnglo-SaxonsstayedinEngland.Anglo-SaxonsformedthesmallkingdomsofKent,Essex,Sussex,EastAnglia,Mercia,andNorthumbria.•KingdomsoftenfoughtwitheachotheruntilWessextookoverinthe9thcentury.Anglo-Saxonlanguagepoint•Tuesday------Tiu(Godofwar)•Wednesday-------Woden(Kingofheaven)•Thursday-------Thor(Godofstorms)•Friday--------Freya(Goddessofpeace)StAugustineSaintAugustine•597PopeGregoryI(Gregoriancalendar)sentSaintAugustinetoconvertheathensintoChristians.•SaintColumbawasAugustine’sMissionarytotheBritishIsles.•ChristianityandtheoneGodhelpedBritainformthemonarchywiththeKingasfigured.•ThisbegantheheydayofthepowerfulBritishKingsHouseofWessex•HouseofWessexruledfrom829-1066withabrieflossofcrowntothehouseofDenmark.•HouseofDenmarkruledfrom1013-1042AlfredtheGreatAlfredofWessex871-899•Knowas“AlfredtheGreat”andthe“FatheroftheBritishNavy”forhisbattlesagainsttheDanes•AfterafewlostbattlesAlfredwasabletoregroupanddefeattheDanesatthebattleofWedmore878.•InatradeforpeaceAlfredofferedtheDanespartsofNorthernandEasternEngland.BecameknownasDanelaw.•Alfred’sothercontributionstoEngland---promotededucationandbecameawriter.HelpedspreadChristianity.TheVikingsDanishtakeover•AfterAlfreddiedin901thesucceedingkingsreconqueredDanelawandtroublebrokeout•988EthelredtheUnreadypaidtheDanes(Viking)invaderstogoawaybutinsteadofleavingtheytookthemoney,becamestronger•1016aDanishking,SweynForkbeardbecamethekingofEngland•ThesecondDanishkingwasCanuteCanutecommandingth