New
New
Year 4

The buildings of Roman Britain

I can describe the sorts of buildings the Romans introduced to Britain.

New
New
Year 4

The buildings of Roman Britain

I can describe the sorts of buildings the Romans introduced to Britain.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Celtic buildings were usually thatched, wattle and daub roundhouses.
  2. Archaeologists can look at the remains of buildings to construct arguments about the impact of the Romans in Britain.
  3. Evidence of North African Roman soldiers has been found at Hadrian’s Wall, a major Ancient Roman architectural feature.
  4. Caerwent, Trimontium and Bath are all places that have examples of the sorts of architecture the Ancient Romans built.
  5. Rich Ancient Romans built villas in the British countryside with expensive mosaics and hypocaust systems for heating.

Keywords

  • Thatched - thatched roofs were made from a type of plant material, like straw

  • Wattle and daub - buildings made up of woven twigs and rods that have been covered in clay are called wattle and daub

  • Hadrian’s Wall - Hadrian’s Wall was the northernmost border of the Ancient Roman Empire

  • Hypocaust system - a hypocaust system was an Ancient Roman underfloor heating system

Common misconception

Pupils may think that Hadrian's Wall was not very high, as the remaining stretches have been damaged.

Remind pupils that Hadrian's Wall is over a thousand years old, and any sections still standing were much taller in the past.

Try to emphasise the difference in construction techniques between Celtic buildings and Ancient Roman villas and buildings.
Teacher tip

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.
Which statement is true?
Religion in Britain changed completely under Ancient Roman rule.
Religion in Britain did not change at all under Ancient Roman rule.
Correct answer: Religion in Britain changed somewhat under Ancient Roman rule.
Q2.
The religious leaders in Celtic Britain were called the ...
Correct Answer: druids, Druids
Q3.
Which Celtic leader was taken to Rome in chains following their attempts to resist the Ancient Roman invasion?
Boudica
Sulis Minerva
Correct answer: Caratacus
Q4.
Place the events of Boudica's rebellion in order, starting with the earliest.
1 - Boudica grew tired of Ancient Roman rule.
2 - Boudica destroyed the town of Colchester.
3 - Boudica burnt down the city of London.
4 - Boudica was defeated by an Ancient Roman legion from Wales.
Q5.
Which two goddesses were combined and worshipped by the people in Bath?
Correct answer: Minerva
Cernunnos
Correct answer: Sulis
Jupiter
Q6.
Which of these is the correct definition for the word 'polytheism'?
someone's family member from the past
priests of the Celtic religion
what the Ancient Romans called anyone who did not follow Roman traditions
Correct answer: when people believe in many gods and goddesses

6 Questions

Q1.
Most Celts lived in buildings called...
Correct Answer: roundhouses, round houses
Q2.
Which two of these were materials used by the Celts in their buildings?
Correct answer: wattle and daub
bricks
concrete
clay tiles
Correct answer: straw
Q3.
Which emperor had a great wall built on Britain's northern border?
Trajan
Nero
Claudius
Correct answer: Hadrian
Q4.
Soldiers from all over the Roman Empire defended Hadrian's Wall in Britain.
Correct answer: True
False
Q5.
Match the keyword to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:hypocaust system,an Ancient Roman underfloor heating system

an Ancient Roman underfloor heating system

Correct Answer:thatched,roofs made from a type of plant material, like straw

roofs made from a type of plant material, like straw

Correct Answer:wattle and daub,woven twigs and rods that have been covered in clay to make walls

woven twigs and rods that have been covered in clay to make walls

Q6.
Which two of these were found at Chedworth Villa?
Correct answer: mosaics
a temple
Correct answer: a hypocaust system
swords

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