FOCUS ON HISTORY

The Iberians

• settled in Neolithic

• spread from the South

• evidences Archeological remains : beakers, megalith of Stonehenge

The Celts

• from north-west Germany

• around 700 B.C

• language: "Welsh" in Wales, "Gaelic" in Scotland

• physical appearance: tall, muscular, fair skin, blue eyes, blond hair

• occupations: farmers, hunters, fishermen

• social role: warriors, traders, navigators

• social and political organizations: tribes

• religion: druidism

• rites: ceremonies in the forest

• elements of worship: the Sun, the Moon, the trees, the rivers, the Water

• beliefs: transmigration of the soul from one person to another

• spiritual world: communicating through sacrifice (domestic animals)

• Romans invasions: 55 B.C

The Anglo-Saxons

• society: chief/king (power as leaders), earls (nobles by birth), freemen (all people)

• 8^th and 9^th centuries: towns = larger communities

= military bases at first

= centers of trade later

• language: old English

• religion: pagan - with king Cnut Christianity began to spread

EXERCISE N1

1. archeological remains = resti archeologici

2. megalith = megalite

3. iron = ferro

4. tin = stagno

5. pottery = ceramica

6. cloth = stoffa

7. tribe = tribù

8. warrior = guerriero

9. temple = tempio

10. the gods = gli dei

EXERCISE N2

1. They traded iron, tin and silver goods, pottery and cloth between tribes.

2. Their cloaks, skirts and trousers were or dyed striped or checked cloth, fastened by a piece of jewellery.

3. The Celts made offerings of precious objects to the gods: the more valuable the offering, the more powerful the act of propitiation.

EXERCISE N3

1.  

2. cloak

3. Stonehenge

4. "beakers"

EXERCISE N4

title n4: natural elements

title n5: Sacrifice and Conquest

EXERCISE N5

1. The evidences of Britain's first settlers, the Iberians, are archeological remains.

2. We must guess why Stonehenge was built and how it was bused because we have no written proves to say this.

3. In modern times their language remains in "Welsh" in Wales and "Gaelic" in Scotland.

4. The Druids were the priests of Celts. There were important in religion, justice, education and medicine. They held ceremonies in the forest.

EXERCISE N6

The Celts told some stories around the fire in the darkness. I think these were about their day, what the have done during the day, what they have hunted or which animals they have met. They also sang around the fire.

EXERCISE N7

The Celts had their language, but they did not speak the Roman language, thus the Romans did not understand them. They were called "barbarians" because they did not talk Roman's language.

EXERCISE N8

• Elements of worship: the Sun, the Moon, the trees, the rivers, the Water

• Beliefs: transmigration of the soul from one person to another

• The after-life: spent on the Earth in caves, hills or lakes

• Communication with the spiritual world: sacrifices of domestic animals