The women of Iron Age Britain
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe what historians think they know about Iron Age women in Britain.
Key learning points
- The bones of the person buried with the Wetwang chariot have led archaeologists to think she was a woman.
- The care taken to bury her, her chariot and other goods (a mirror and a brooch) suggest she was very important.
- This has led them to believe that women could be powerful warriors and rulers in the Iron Age, just like men.
- Later on, Ancient Roman writers also noted this, describing how women fought alongside men.
- 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.
Teacher tip
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.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
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.In which era did the Celtic people live?
Q2.Match the word to the correct definition.
Q3.Where was the Wetwang chariot found?
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?
Q5.What was the Wetwang chariot made from?
Q6.What was found in the Iron Age grave in Wetwang in 2001?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Was the skeleton found buried with the Wetwang chariot female or male?
Q2.Match the word to the correct definition.
Q3.Archaeologists believe the person buried with the Wetwang chariot was important.
Q4.Archaeologists and historians think Iron Age women were warriors who fought on the battlefields because...
Q5.Historians think that Celtic women could not become rulers in their own right and own and inherit their own land.
Q6.There is a statue in London of which Celtic Queen?
To help you plan your 3 history lesson on: The women of Iron Age Britain, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 history lesson on: The women of Iron Age Britain, 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.