Celts -vs- Romans

This afternoon in 3V we have been continuing our studies of the Roman Empire, looking particularly at the invasion of Britain in AD47.

We learnt that, before the Romans came - tempted by Britain's rich land and precious metals - Britain was populated by tribes of Celtic people.  Britons lived in England and Wales, while the Gaels lived in Scotland and Ireland.  The Celts were tribal people: each local area was governed by its own leader, and there were often fierce rivalries between neighbouring tribes.  Celtic warriors were fearsome in battle, but lacked the organisation and training of the Romans, whose ruthless efficiency helped them to victory.

Celtic people lived off the land, raising crops and keeping animals for food.  Their homes were called roundhouses, and they were simple, one-room buildings in which the whole family lived (sometimes with their animals too!).  The houses themselves had wooden frames covered in wattle and daub, and a straw-thatched roof with a hole in the centre to let out the smoke from the fireplace.  

Although their homes were simple, the Celts were very skilled in ironwork, and were able to design and create tools, weapons and jewellery with intricate motifs.  Some of these still survive today!

Once we had learnt a little about the Celtic settlements, we had a go at creating a Celtic village of our own.  We used a special template and followed the instructions to build our own 3D Celtic roundhouses from card.