06 The Celts

The Celts

Iron Age Celts The Celts were people who lived in Europe over 2,000 years ago. They lived during a time called the Iron Age. In the Iron Age, people first started using a metal called iron to make tools for farming, and weapons such as swords and spears.

Meet the tribe The Celts lived in groups called tribes. The tribe leader was a chief, a king, or sometimes a queen. The best fighters in the tribe became fierce warriors. Bards told stories and poems about famous warriors. Druids were priests. Everyone thought they were very wise.

Most people worked on the land, growing crops and taking care of animals. Everyone shared everything with the other members of their tribe.

High on a hill Different tribes didn't always get along. They often tried to steal things from each other, so many tribes built forts on hills to stay safe. These are the ruins of a Celtic hillfort in Danbury in the south of England.

Tribes could see people coming from a long way away, because they were so high up. Steep banks were cut into the hillside to make it hard for anyone to attack quickly. There were only one or two entrances. This made the fort easy to defend.