First Known Inhabitants of the United Kingdom: The Celts

The first identifiable inhabitants of the British Isles (later the United Kingdom) were the **Celts** (or **Britons**), arriving from continental Europe around **600–500 BCE** (Iron Age).

Who Were They?

• Language: Brittonic (P-Celtic) — ancestor of Welsh, Cornish, Breton.
• Culture: Tribal societies (e.g., Iceni, Trinovantes, Brigantes, Silures, Ordovices).
• Settlements: **Hillforts** (Maiden Castle, Danebury) — defensive, communal centers. Roundhouses (wattle-and-daub, thatch).
• Economy: Mixed farming (cattle, sheep, barley, wheat), metalworking (bronze, iron), trade with continent.
• Religion: Polytheistic, druidic priesthood, sacred groves/springs, votive offerings (Llyn Cerrig Bach, Snettisham torcs).

Pre-Celtic Peoples

**Beaker People** (c. 2500 BCE) brought bronze, single burials, Stonehenge Phase 3. **Neolithic farmers** (c. 4000 BCE) built long barrows, causewayed enclosures, Stonehenge Phases 1–2. **Mesolithic hunter-gatherers** (c. 9000 BCE) — Cheddar Man (DNA: dark skin, blue eyes).

The **Celts** are the first *historically attested* group with a distinct language and culture directly ancestral to modern British minorities (Welsh, Cornish, Scots Gaelic via Irish migration).