Text 2 The Dawn of British History

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 632.

About 3000 years BC many parts of Europe, including the British Isles, were inhabited by a people called Iberians who are still found in the North of Spain (later they were mixed with the Celts).

During the period from the 6^th to the 3^rd century BC a people called the Celts spread all over Europe from the east to the west. More than one Celtic tribe invaded Britain. From time to time these tribes were attacked and overcome by other Celtic tribes from the continent. Tribes of Scots crossed over to Ireland and settled there. Later the Scots returned to the larger island and in time the name of Scotland was given to the country. Powerful Celtic tribes, the Britons, held most of the country, and the southern half of the island was named Britain after them.

The Celts had no towns, they lived in villages. They were acquainted with the use of copper, tin, iron. They kept large herds of cattle and sheep and cultivated crops. The Celtic tribes of the Britons, who inhabited the south-eastern parts of the island, made their houses of wood while the other Celts made them of skins.

Some of the Celtic tribes were quite large and fighting was common among them. In times of war the Celts wore skins and painted their faces. They were armed with swords and spears.

The Celts worshipped Nature. They lived under a primitive system. They worked collectively in clans or family communities; they owned common property and were all equal. In the last centuries BC and the first centuries AD the Celts were in a period of transition from a primitive communal society to a class society.