CULTURAL STUDIES VIDEOS WEEK 1 AND 2

WEEK ONE: FIRST TWO VIDEOS

● Hunters-gatherers felt connected to nature, they relied in natural

resources and animals. Footprints from 8.000 years ago were
found preserved in the mud.
● Sussex - first bones found in Britain. 1.8 metres tall, they ate meat
according to signs found on their teeth, 500.000 years ago before
Neanderthals.
● An archeologist, Buckland, discovered the first modern human
bones in West Wales 200 years ago. He thought they belonged to
a roman prostitute that was abandoned, so they called it the “Red
Lady”, but it was later discovered it actually belonged to a young
man who died around his 20s, 33.000 years ago. It’s the first
human known to have inhabited Britain. He also found mammoth
bones, although he thought they were from an elephant. The
bones were found buried together in a cave, probably as a ritual.
● 18000 years ago, the last ice age wiped the population from
Western Europe. 14.000 years ago the ice started to melt, so small
groups were able to make their way back to Britain.
● In 2003, a cave from that era was found in Sheffield, the only art
cave ever found in Britain; it had animal engraved in rocks, long
neck birds.
● 13.000 years ago Scotland was covered in ice. Ice molded Britain’s
landscape. 11.000 years ago ice melted and water took over with
such force that changed the land forever.
● 9000 years-old Mesolithic camps were found in Scotland, it is said
these were the first people born and raised in Britain. They also
found the oldest complete skull. The Mesolithic had small
communities living isolated from each other. They also found a
10,000 years-old deer skull, a relic of religion, probably used to be
worn as a headpiece, as part of a ritual.
● 6000 years ago, Britain was hit by biggest tsunami, with powerful
10 meters-high waves ,that it is believed to have come from
 Norway. It reshaped Britain again, it was the greatest natural
disaster to ever strike.
● 10.000 years old is the oldest boat building yard in the world found,
with wood from log boats under sea.
● The Mesolithic life was nomadic and carried along the shore line.
● The Neolithic was a new farming era, producing food allowed them
to have more families, more children and better chances of
surviving. Farming changed everything: the food, the lands and
what they believed in, it was the greatest social revolution. The
farmers shaped and adapted the land. Archeologists still don’t
know how the farmers and the Neolithic arrived to Britain, and it
may always be a mystery.
● Neolithic giant stone tombs were rock art and a statement of
defiance: even when they died and disappeared, they would
forever be remembered by this. Stone tombs created a community
for the dead in the community of the living. The dead were buried
not individually, but separated by bone groups. The tombs found in
Wiltshire were open, as temples, not closed. The first ones were
found in Kent, and dated from around 6000 year ago.
● A 5500 years-old stone wall was found in Ireland, it is more than
100 km long. They also found the biggest Neolithic field system in
the world. The most important Neolithic inventions are: cereals,
domestic animals and pottery. This 3 together changed forever
their diet, and farmers were less healthy than hunters.
● When the concept of ownership appeared, conflicts started. That’s
the reason why arrowheads were found all over a hill in Crickley.

WEEK 2 VIDEO - Iron Age - 800 to 100 BC

Earliest iron age era - 800 to 600 BC:

New extensive field systems were created, as well as settlements that
became more permanent than before, they also made a better use of the
land, they now strived towards new economic and social goals. They
started using ditches as territorial boundaries to control the land.

Early iron age 600 to 400 BC:

There was an increase in goods imported from the mainland, which had
a great influence on the arts and weapons. There was a rise in big
defensive structures, they first appeared in Wessex, some were
permanent and some were used seasonally. They indicated
accumulation of wealth and higher living standards.

Middle iron age 400 to 100 BC:

Forts served as communal center for markets and social events.

Late Iron age 100 to 50 BC:

Expansion of the economy can be seen through the large amounts of
gold and silver iron age coins that were found, imported from the
mainland.

Latest Iron Age 50 BC to 100 AC:

Signs of religion practiced in open air, revolved around sacrifices and
offerings. Life expectancy was 25 years old, and high children mortality.

Roman forces easily took over the forts and Britain was quickly
integrated into the Roman empire.