 History & Heritage
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The Mesolithic Period
(8000 - 4000 B.C.)
After the last Ice Age temperatures began to rise and trees spread across Britain.
The first settlers came around 8000 B.C. They were hunter - gatherers attracted by
the rich natural resources of the region. They left no evidence of permanent structures
only a scattering of stone tools.
The Neolithic Period
(4000 -2500 B.C.)
Farming techniques were gradually adopted with the introduction of wheat and barley
and the keeping of domestic animals. This prompted a more settled way of life
and the emergence of 'megalithic tombs' used for ritual and burial purposes.
The Earlier Bronze Age
(2500 - 1500 B.C)
The discovery of copper and the development of bronze led to major technological advances in tools
and weapons. Burial traditions also change with single graves replacing communal vaults.
Cremation and depositing items with the dead also became more common. More ceremonial monuments
were created including stone circles which may have been used as a sort
of calendar to predict astral events.
The Later Bronze Age & The Iron Age
(1500 B.C. - A.D. 60)
For the first time the remains of widespread settlement can be identified. Centuries of woodland clearances
led to the establishment of extensive field systems surrounding farming settlements. An increase in population
meant greater competition for resources and bronze weapons were gradually replaced by stronger ones of iron.
Settlements were also enclosed for protection from wild animals and other 'tribes' and were often located in
on hilltops or cliffs.
MORE WELSH HISTORY >
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