大象传媒

How did Iron Age people live?

An animated image of a soldier guarding the Iron Age settlement.
  • Around 800BC people in Britain learned how to use iron. This had a big impact on everyday life.
  • Iron tools made farming much easier than before.
  • People lived in clans that belonged to tribes led by warrior kings.
  • Rival tribes fought with deadly iron weapons.
  • Many people lived in hill forts to keep safe from attacks.

During the Iron Age, the Celtic people spread out across Europe and many settled in Britain. The ancient Britons followed a Celtic way of life. They enjoyed feasting, music and poetry.

They produced fine metalwork which they traded with people in mainland Europe.

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Watch: What was an Iron Age hill fort?

  • By the end of the Iron Age many people lived in hill forts.
  • The forts were surrounded by walls and ditches.
  • Warriors defended their people from enemy attacks. Men and boys trained as warriors.
  • They had to be prepared to fight at any time.

Raksha Dave visits Maiden Castle in Dorset to find out about Iron Age tribes.

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Who lived and worked at a hill fort?

An image of the round house that the Britons lived in during the Iron Age
Image caption,
The Britons lived in villages of round houses, like these (drawn by a modern artist).

Homes

  • Inside the hill forts, people lived in round houses.

  • These were simple one-roomed homes with a pointed thatched roof and walls made from wattle and daub (a mixture of mud and twigs).

  • In the centre of the round house was a fire where meals were cooked in a cauldron.

  • Around the walls were jars for storing food and beds made from straw covered with animal skins.

Farming

  • Iron Age farmers grew crops and vegetables.
  • They kept geese, goats and pigs and had large herds of cows and flocks of sheep.

Jobs

  • Some people worked as potters, carpenters and metalworkers.
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What did Iron Age people believe?

An image of the Battersea Shield
Image caption,
The Battersea shield was found in the River Thames. It was almost certainly thrown into the river as an offering to the spirits. Thousands of precious offerings have been found in British lakes, rivers and bogs.
  • People in Iron Age Britain believed in powerful spirits.
  • Priests known as druids led religious ceremonies. They sacrificed animals and sometimes humans too!
  • The druids gave precious offerings, such as swords and cups, to the spirits.
  • They buried the offerings in the ground or threw them into rivers, lakes and bogs.

When the Romans first arrived in Britain they wrote about the religion of the ancient Britons. They described four of their main festivals:

  • Imbolc was held in February to welcome the birth of the first lambs.
  • Beltane was celebrated in May, when the cattle were moved to their summer fields.
  • Lughnasadh was held in August to celebrate the ripening of the crops.
  • Samhain took place in November and marked the end of the year.
An image of the Battersea Shield
Image caption,
The Battersea shield was found in the River Thames. It was almost certainly thrown into the river as an offering to the spirits. Thousands of precious offerings have been found in British lakes, rivers and bogs.
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Activities

Activity 1: Iron Age tools

Iron Age people developed some very useful tools to help them in their daily work. Click on these pictures to find out more.

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Activity 2: Iron Age quiz

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Activity 3: Compare and contrast

Watch this video about life in the Iron Age from 大象传媒 Teach.

  • Can you write down three of the biggest changes from the Bronze Age?

Life in Iron Age Britain shown through the eyes of a typical family as they deal with a raid by another tribe. The impact of the discovery of iron is explored.

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Play fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art, computing and modern languages.

Bitesize Primary games
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