The ‘Celts’ were tribes of warriors who shared a similar language, religion and culture. They gradually settled in the country between about 500 and 100 BC. They brought ironworking to the British Isles, which had amazing effects. It affected trade and helped develop local independence because iron was quite cheap and easily available. We don’t know if the hill forts were built by the Celts as they moved into hostile territory or by the native Britons to defend themselves. Hill forts consisted of a small ditch and bank surrounding a hilltop. The basic unit of Celtic life was the clan, which was like today’s extended family. They lived in huts made of timber with thatched roofs. The Celts practised agriculture when they were not fighting in wars. They introduced the iron plough, which made the cultivation of the soil easier. Women were almost equal to men. They could choose the man they wanted to marry and retained their own property. They could also lead other warriors in war. They worshipped the natural elements, like the sun, the moon and water. They held their religious rites in the woods and near
the sacred water of wells and springs. They relied on the oral transmission of culture, especially through bards.