Hello, time travellers!
This is the first article in a series of 9. Each day we will travel to a new time in history. Today, we go back a very, very long time ago — to the Stone Age.
Are you ready? Let’s go!
Three Ages
A long time ago, people in Britain lived in three different “Ages”. The names tell us what people used to make tools.
| Age | When | What people used |
|---|---|---|
| Stone Age | About 12,000 BC – 2,500 BC | Stones, bones, wood |
| Bronze Age | 2,500 BC – 800 BC | Bronze (a mix of copper and tin) |
| Iron Age | 800 BC – 43 AD | Iron (a strong metal) |
“BC” means “Before Christ” — a long time ago. “AD” means after the year 0.
Life in the Stone Age
In the early Stone Age, people did not live in houses. They moved from place to place. They hunted animals like deer, and gathered berries, nuts and plants.
Later in the Stone Age, people learned to farm. They grew crops and looked after sheep and cows. Now they could stay in one place. They built small houses from wood and stone.
Skara Brae — a Stone Age village
In Scotland, on a small island called Orkney, there is a very special village called Skara Brae.
It is 5,000 years old! That is older than the Egyptian pyramids.
A big storm in 1850 blew away sand and showed the old village. Inside the houses, you can still see:
- Stone beds
- Stone shelves (like a dresser)
- A fire pit in the middle
- Small rooms to keep food
The people of Skara Brae had no metal. Everything was made of stone, bone or wood.
Stonehenge — the magic stones
In Wiltshire, in the south of England, there is a circle of huge stones called Stonehenge.
The biggest stones are 7 metres tall and weigh 25 tonnes. That is heavier than 4 elephants! The stones were put there about 5,000 years ago.
But here’s the puzzle: there were no trucks back then. How did the people move the stones?
People think they used:
- Wooden rollers (like logs under the stones)
- Lots of helpers pulling with ropes
- Boats and rivers to move some stones from far away
Some stones came from Wales — over 200 miles away!
Why did they build Stonehenge? Nobody knows for sure. Many people think it was a special place to watch the sun and seasons.
The Bronze Age — a new metal
Around 2,500 BC, something amazing happened. People learned to mix two metals — copper and tin — to make bronze.
Bronze is harder than stone. It can be made into:
- Sharper tools
- Better axes
- Stronger swords
- Beautiful jewellery
Bronze Age people in Britain built round houses with thatched roofs. They lived in small farms with their family.
The Iron Age — strong tools and big forts
Around 800 BC, people learned to use iron. Iron is even stronger than bronze.
Iron Age people in Britain were called the Celts (say “Kelts”). They wore colourful clothes and had long hair. The men sometimes painted their bodies with blue paint called woad.
Hill forts
The Celts built big homes on top of hills. We call them hill forts. They had:
- Tall walls of earth and wood
- Deep ditches around the walls
- One main gate
Why? Because there were many tribes, and tribes sometimes fought.
The biggest hill fort in Britain is Maiden Castle in Dorset. It is huge — like the size of 50 football pitches!
Fun facts
- Stone Age people made paint from rocks and used it to draw animals on cave walls.
- A Stone Age person’s tooth was found at Cheddar Gorge in 1903. Scientists looked at it and found that some people living near there today are his cousins!
- Bronze Age people loved jewellery. They made beautiful gold rings, beads and necklaces.
- Iron Age Celts had brilliant artists. Look up “Battersea Shield” — it’s amazing.
Words to remember
- Hunter-gatherer: someone who hunts animals and gathers plants
- Farm: to grow food and look after animals
- Bronze: a metal made by mixing copper and tin
- Hill fort: a home on top of a hill with big walls
- Celt: a person who lived in Britain in the Iron Age
- BC / AD: ways to count years long ago
Talk about it
Try these questions with a grown-up:
- Which would you like to live in: the Stone Age, Bronze Age or Iron Age? Why?
- How would you move a 25-tonne stone with no trucks?
- If you lived in Skara Brae, what would your bed feel like?
- Why do you think the Celts built hill forts?
Quick summary
- The Stone Age came first. People used stones for tools.
- Skara Brae (Scotland) is a very old stone village — 5,000 years old.
- Stonehenge (Wiltshire) is a circle of giant stones — also 5,000 years old.
- The Bronze Age came next. People used bronze (copper + tin).
- The Iron Age was last. People used iron and built hill forts.
Next article
Tomorrow we travel to Roman Britain. We will meet Julius Caesar, Boudica, and learn about Hadrian’s Wall. See you then!