Iron Age artifact reveals how women fought as warriors

The Iron Age in Britain began when the Bronze Age ended.

It started around 800 BC and ended in 43 AD when the Romans invaded.

As the name suggests, this period has undergone large-scale changes due to the introduction of ironworking technology.

During this period, the population of Britain probably exceeded one million.

This was made possible by new forms of agriculture, such as the introduction of new varieties of barley and wheat.

The invention of the iron-tipped plow made it possible for the first time to grow crops in heavy clay soils.

Some of the most important advances were the introduction of the potter’s wheel, the lathe (used for woodworking), and the rotary quern for grinding grain.

There are nearly 3,000 Iron Age hillforts in the UK. Some were used as permanent settlements, others were used as venues for gatherings, trade and religious activities.

At that time, most people lived in small farms with extended families.

The standard house was a round house, made of wood or stone with a roof of thatch or turf.

Funeral practices varied, but it seems most people were removed by ‘excarnation’ – meaning they were deliberately exposed.

Some bog bodies have also been preserved from this period, suggesting violent deaths in the form of ritual and sacrificial killings.

Towards the end of this period, there was increasing Roman influence from the western Mediterranean and southern France.

It seems that before the Roman conquest of England in AD 43, they had already established links with many tribes and were able to exert some degree of political influence.

After 43 AD all of Wales and England became part of the Roman Empire under Hadrian’s Wall, while Iron Age life in Scotland and Ireland continued longer.