Periods in history of Britain
Archaeologists and historians divide the time people have lived in Britain into different periods:
Palaeolithic:1,000,000-10,000BC
The first people came to live in Britain. They probably came from Europe, as Britain was connected
to the European continent at this time. Palaeolithic people made simple tools of wood and stone.
They were nomadic, following
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around the animals they hunted for food. The Ice Age occurred during
this period.
Mesolithic: 10,000 - 4,000 BC
People made more complicated tools than their Palaeolithic ancestors (using stone, wood and bone); but they were still nomadic hunters and gatherers.
Neolithic: 4,000 - 2,500 BC
People knew how to cultivate wild cereal grasses for food and how to domesticate and herd the animals their Mesolithic ancestors had hunted. This meant they could live in one place all the time, and build more permanent homes.
Bronze Age: 2,500 - 600 BC
People learnt how to make tools from the metal bronze, a combination of copper and tin.
Iron Age: 600 gc - AD 43 Iron largely replaced bronze as the metal used for weapons and tools. (Iron is stronger than bronze.)
Roman: AD 43 - 410
The years when Britain was part of the Roman Empire.
Saxon: 410 - 1066
Saxons from Germany and other people, such as the Vikings from Scandinavia, settled in Britain.
Medieval (also known as the Middle Ages): 1066 - 1485
The Saxons were defeated by Norman invaders from northern France in 1066. England was then ruled by a
Norman king (William I) and, his barons. For the next 400 years England (and later Wales) was run
on a feudal system - with peasants at the bottom ruled by lords of the manor, who were, in turn,
ruled by the barons, and the king.
Later times are generally described in centuries. For example, the seventeenth century refers to the hundred years leading up to the century number: from 1600 to 1699.
Extract from “Landmarks from the Past”, written by Gillian Clegg. England: Wayland LTD, 1994.
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