The Britons were those people living in Britain and speaking Brythonic dialects of Celtic at the time the Romans arrived there in the first century B. C.E. through the time of the invasion of the Germanic Angles, Frisians, Jutes, and Saxons (who became known as the Anglo-Saxons) in the fourth-fifth centuries c. E. The name is from the Latin name for Britain, Britannia, which may derive from Priteni (Pritani, Pretani, Prytani), the name the inhabitants of Britain called themselves in the fourth century b. c.e., according to the Greek navigator Pytheas of Massilia. Writing in the sixth century B. C.E., Hecataeus of Miletus, whose works are mostly lost but who is quoted by others, gave them the name Hyperboreans. These were people of Celtic culture, classified with other Celtic-speaking peoples in the embracing group Celts. Britons as a classification also include Welsh and Cornish. Britons from Wales migrated to southwestern scotland, founding the kingdom of strathclyde in the fifth century c. e. Other Britons, fleeing incursions of the ancient Germanics, settled among the Gauls in present-day Brittany in France in the sixth century C. E. and became known as Bretons.
ORIGINS
The various Celtic-speaking peoples were the descendants of the tribes of the Bell Beaker and other Bronze Age cultures and before that of the peoples of the Neolithic cultures that developed after the introduction of farming practices to Europe. in Britain evidence of a distinctive burial style attributed to the Bell Beaker culture dates from around 2500 b. c.e.
Sources written by Romans and the archaeological record both indicate that a tribal people with a culture strongly influenced by the culture of the continental Celts inhabited Britain and ireland at the time of the Roman conquest in the first century c. e. Their presence is attested, as well, by the Celtic languages spoken in scotland, Wales, Cornwall, ireland, and the isle of Man well into the modern era and, in the case of parts of ireland and Scotland, to the present day. (Celtic languages are considered “markers” for the existence of other Celtic cultural features in the lives of their speakers.)
It was once assumed that this “Celtici-zation” of the British Isles must have happened by conquest and the large-scale arrival of Celtic immigrants. However, the rich and fairly well studied archaeological record has failed to substantiate this process. The picture provided by archaeological evidence is rather one of undoubted influence from the Continent, which was absorbed and transformed into a distinct native culture. The carriers of such influences are more likely to have been traders than immigrants, for the most part; the only invasion for which possible evidence exists was that of the Belgae, from the region of present-day Belgium, in the second century b. c.e. Chariot burials in Yorkshire bear a close resemblance to those of the Parisii of the Seine region in France, suggesting that a group from this tribe may have emigrated to Britain. But most contact must have been through the agency of the well-established and widespread trading networks of Celtic Europe, which had existed since the Bronze Age and greatly increased in scope with the beginning of large-scale exploitation of iron in the latter eighth century B. C.E.
Continental Influences in Britain during the Late Bronze Age
The first widespread culture generally identified as Celtic is called the Hallstatt culture, named after a site in the area of Hallstatt in the Austrian Alps. Although it reached its height in the iron Age, its distinctive characteristics began to emerge in the Late Bronze Age around 1000 b. c.e. as a result of wealth acquired from its exportation of salt. Elements of the Hallstatt culture, which was influential in central temperate Europe from France to Poland, can be seen also in Britain. improved metalworking techniques from Hallstatt Europe were adopted in Britain after 1000 B. C.E. Hallstatt-type hill forts were built in Britain, although there were also distinctly British forms, such as the crannog (see section on “Dwellings and Architecture”). Other important trends in Europe included the shift from inhumation to cremation around 1300 B. C.E., known as the Urnfield revolution, and
B. C.E.
Eighth century Beginning of Iron Age in Britain
C. 325 Greek traveler Pytheas of Massilia visits Britain.
Second century Belgae from present-day Belgium either invade or emigrate to Britain.
55-54 Jul ius Caesar leads two military expeditions to Britain, possibly in attempted invasion.
Territories of Catuvellauni and Trinovantes united by Catuvelluanian king Cunobelin.
Roman invasion of Britain; Emperor Claudius accepts surrender of Camulodunum.
50 London founded by Romans.
51 British war leader Caratacus is captured by Romans and sent to Rome. 60-61 Queen Boudicca of Iceni leads revolt against the Romans.
72-74 Roman campaign against Brigantes 74-77 Roman campaign against Silures
79-85 Agricola's northern campaign against Scots; defeat of northern tribes by Romans at Mons Graupius in 84
115 Northern tribesmen annihilate Roman garrison at Eboracum.
122 Roman emperor Hadrian tours Britain and has Hadrian's Wall built.
142 Antonine Wall built.
380s Romano-British general Magnus Maximus leads revolt to usurp rule of Roman Britain.
Fifth century Angles, Jutes, Saxons occupy parts of Britain.
406 Romano-British general Constantine III declares himself emperor of Rome.
410 Roman troops and government officials withdrawn from Britain. c. 518 Victory of Britons over Anglo-Saxons at Battle of Mons Badonicus.
Changes in farming practices occurred in Britain as well.
Climate Change in the Late Bronze Age
At the beginning of the Bronze Age the climate in Britain was warmer and drier than it is today, but during the period these conditions changed steadily until by the latter part of the second millennium b. c.e. the cooler, wetter climate was seriously impacting agriculture as formerly arable land became submerged in bogs and marsh. This condition was exacerbated by overgrazing and poor land management. Farmland was now a relatively scarce resource, and economic instability and competition for land are thought to have played a role in the greater importance of war in society Although the hill forts and crannogs that came into use during this time had a defensive purpose, they also concentrated settlement and spared precious arable land for farming.
Arrival of the Iron Age in Britain
Knowledge of ironworking entered Britain before the end of the eighth century b. c.e. The earliest known sites where iron slag is found also contain artifacts in the style of what is called the Hallstatt C culture. Imported bronze and iron swords in Hallstatt C style have been found in different areas in Britain, especially in the southeast. However, typical Hallstatt C burials and settlements have not been found, their lack indicates the insular nature of British culture, in which only selected elements were chosen for imitation.
Only relatively few Hallstatt D (fifth-fourth century b. c.e.) artifacts have been found in Britain; these include daggers, razors, and horse trappings, some of them imported, the majority from native workshops. As in earlier times, native burial and settlement patterns persisted.
After the fourth century b. c.e. Britons partook of the La Tene culture, named after its type site in Switzerland, adopting many La Tene elements into their work in metals and other materials, but again reinterpreting them into their unique style. In common with other celtic groups at this time, Britons in some areas increasingly aggregated into large hill forts.
World History
