New
New
Year 3

The women of Iron Age Britain

I can describe what historians think they know about Iron Age women in Britain.

New
New
Year 3

The women of Iron Age Britain

I can describe what historians think they know about Iron Age women in Britain.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The bones of the person buried with the Wetwang chariot have led archaeologists to think she was a woman.
  2. The care taken to bury her, her chariot and other goods (a mirror and a brooch) suggest she was very important.
  3. This has led them to believe that women could be powerful warriors and rulers in the Iron Age, just like men.
  4. Later on, Ancient Roman writers also noted this, describing how women fought alongside men.
  5. Historians think that Celtic women could become rulers in their own right and own and inherit their own land.

Keywords

  • Warrior - a brave and strong person who fights is a warrior

  • Tribe - a group of families that live together with the same beliefs and culture is called a tribe

  • Inherit - to receive something from someone when they die is to inherit it

Common misconception

Some may think that Celtic people and Iron Age people lived in different time periods.

Celtic people lived during the Iron Age.

Discuss how the Romans came to Britain to take over land that the Celts were already living on and farming. The Ancient Romans had different beliefs, culture, rulers and ways of living to the Celts.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
In which era did the Celtic people live?
Stone Age
Bronze Age
Correct answer: Iron Age
Q2.
Match the word to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:Romans ,A group of people from Italy who took over lots of land across Europe.

A group of people from Italy who took over lots of land across Europe.

Correct Answer:Celts ,People who lived during the Iron Age in small farming settlements.

People who lived during the Iron Age in small farming settlements.

Q3.
Where was the Wetwang chariot found?
Correct answer: an Iron Age grave
an Iron Age barn
an Iron Age farm
an Iron Age hillfort
Q4.
Which pieces of evidence do archaeologists and historians use to get an idea of what life was like for Celtic people during the Iron Age?
Correct answer: artefacts
photographs
Correct answer: Roman writings
Correct answer: bones
Q5.
What was the Wetwang chariot made from?
Correct answer: wood
Correct answer: metal
cardboard
plastic
glass
Q6.
What was found in the Iron Age grave in Wetwang in 2001?
Correct answer: human skeleton
Correct answer: a chariot
Roman coins
Correct answer: a mirror
Correct answer: coral brooch

6 Questions

Q1.
Was the skeleton found buried with the Wetwang chariot female or male?
Correct answer: female
male
Q2.
Match the word to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:warrior,a brave and strong person who fights

a brave and strong person who fights

Correct Answer:inherit,to receive something from someone when they die

to receive something from someone when they die

Correct Answer:tribe,a group of families that live together with the same beliefs

a group of families that live together with the same beliefs

Q3.
Archaeologists believe the person buried with the Wetwang chariot was important.
Correct answer: True
False
Q4.
Archaeologists and historians think Iron Age women were warriors who fought on the battlefields because...
Correct answer: female skeletons have been found buried with chariots.
they have seen photographs of female Iron Age warriors.
there is video footage of female warriors during the Iron Age.
Correct answer: the Romans wrote about Celtic female warriors.
the Celts wrote about Celtic female warriors.
Q5.
Historians think that Celtic women could not become rulers in their own right and own and inherit their own land.
True
Correct answer: False
Q6.
There is a statue in London of which Celtic Queen?
Correct answer: Boudicca
Cartimandua

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