c700 BC to 43 AD
People
They lived in small tribal groups in large round timber houses, with storage pits, granaries, and animal pens for cattle and sheep outside. They also kept dogs, pigs, small horses, and chickens. They built walls to create fields, and grew lots of crops such as barley, spelt, wheat, beans, peas, flax, and rye. They also caught wild animals, fish and shellfish from their local areas.Places
Coinage was introduced in the Iron
Age. Image: Brian Wood
The tribal groups were ruled over by powerful elite leaders, who built hill forts to mark their territory and remind people how important they were. The hill forts were well defended, and provided a safe haven during times of trouble.
Feasting and sacrificing took place in the roundhouses, and later on top of the hill forts in purpose built shrines. Roundhouses were constructed in alignment with the equinox and solstice. Helmets, shields and coins imprinted with the tribal leader were thrown in springs and rivers as offerings.
Times
Along with being successful farmers and shepherds, Iron Age people also specialised in large-scale industries, and small-scale crafts. They mined iron ore and quarried salt, trading it for goods around the country. Iron ore was more plentiful than bronze, and it was used to make lots of different tools to help them make hurdles, ladders and even a horse drawn carriage!Roundhouse industries thrived during the Iron Age period. From the comfort of their roundhouse, Iron Age people developed weaving on a frame with clay loom-weights to make large pieces of cloth for clothes and blankets. They fashioned combs, shuttles and needles from bone and antler. They adopted the fast potter's wheel, creating copies of continental pots, such as beakers, cups, dishes and flagons.
It is likely that this industrial success and wealth attracted the Romans to Britain.
Iron Age Surrey
- St Ann’s Hill, Chertsey rises abruptly from the valley below. In the Iron Age the hillfort at its summit would have dominated and controlled settlement in the region.
St Anne's Hill, Chertsey
Image: SCAU
Have your say
Specialist Search