The Wetwang chariot and Celtic warfare
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what archaeologists have learnt about Iron Age Britain from the Wetwang chariot.
Key learning points
- In 2001 in northern England, a grave was discovered of someone who must have been very important.
- Inside the grave, alongside the bones, were the remains of an Iron Age chariot.
- All that remained of the chariot were its metal parts and highly decorated bronze fittings, some inlaid with coral.
- The grave therefore suggests that chariots were important in Celtic warfare in Britain during the Iron Age.
- When the Romans came to Britain for the first time in the 1st century BCE, they noted that the Celts used chariots.
Keywords
Chariot - a chariot was a two-wheeled vehicle pulled by horses and used in ancient warfare
Coral - the hard skeleton of a type of tiny sea animal is called coral
Romans - the Romans were a group of people from Italy that took over lots of land across Europe, Africa and the Middle East
Common misconception
That the archaeologists used the actual artefacts found in the grave to make the reconstruction of the chariot.
Ensure pupils understand that archaeologists used new materials to make a replica chariot based on the evidence in the grave.
Teacher tip
You could help pupils to find the village of Wetwang on a map. Point out the Iron Age and Roman Era on a timeline.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.How long ago did the Iron Age begin in Britain?
Q2.Who were the Celts?
Q3.Put the periods of history in order, starting with the most recent.
Q4.How did archeologists discover that the Celts were skilled craftsman?
Q5.Celtic art had a very distinctive style using swirls, twists, knots and geometric patterns.
Q6.The Snettisham Great Torc and the Battersea Shield are examples of what?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Put the events in order, starting with the earliest.
Q2.In 2001 an Iron Age grave was discovered in the village of in England.
Q3.Match the words to the correct definition
an ancient 2-wheeled vehicle used in warfare and racing
the hard skeleton of a type of tiny sea animal
a group of people from Italy that took over lots of land
Q4.Which items were found in the grave in Wetwang in 2001?
Q5.Archeologists made a replica of the chariot found in the Wetwang grave to learn how it was made and test how it worked.
Q6.What do archelogists beleive chariots were used for?
To help you plan your 3 history lesson on: The Wetwang chariot and Celtic warfare, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 history lesson on: The Wetwang chariot and Celtic warfare, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 history lessons from the Iron Age Britain: what have historians learnt about Iron Age Britain? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.