- •The ancient population of Britain.
- •Neolithic Period
- •Prehistoric monuments. Causeway Camps
- •Long Barrows
- •Passage Graves
- •Stone Circles
- •Paganism on the territory of Britain.
- •The Roman Invasion
- •The Romans on the territory of Britain. Queen Bodiciea`s revolt.
- •The Anglo-Saxon Invasion.
- •Christianity on the territory of Britain. Augustine and his mission.
- •Anglo-Saxon England.
- •Alfred the Great and his role in the history of the country.
- •Edward the Confessor, Westminster Abbey
- •William the Conqueror and his feudal state. The structure of the state after the Norman Invasion.
- •William Rufus, Henry I.
- •Stephen and Matilda, the wars for the throne.
- •Henry II and the Plantagenet dynasty. Thomas Becket and his opposition to the king.
- •Richard the Lion Heart and crusades. John Lackland and Magna Carta.
- •Henry III. Simon de Monfort`s opposition. The first parliament.
- •Edward I and his wars in Wales and Scotland. Edward II. EdwardIii. The first stage of the Hundred Years` War.
- •England's economy in the 14th and 15th centuries. Richard II and Wat Tyler's rebellion...
- •Henry IV. Henry V and the continuation of the Hundred Years` War.
- •The Wars of the Roses. (Henry VI, Edward IV, V)
- •Richard III. Henry VII- the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty.
- •22. Henry VIII and the reformation of the church.
- •23. Edward VI, Jane Grey.
- •24. Mary I. Elizabeth I. Foreign policy and economy of the country in the 16th century.
- •25. England at the beginning of the 17th century. Charles I and his conflict with Parliament.
- •26. The Civil Wars. England after the Civil Wars. The economic situation during and after the Civil Wars. Oliver Cromwell and his Protectorate.
- •27. Restoration of the monarchy. Charles II, the Merry Monarch and his reign.
- •1660-85. Early Life
- •28. James II.
- •29. The Glorious Revolution and its meaning. Mary II and William III.
- •30. Queen Anne. The Unity of England and Scotland.
- •31. The economic development of the country in the 18th century.
- •32. The economic development of the country in the 19th century.
- •33. Science and culture in the 19th century.
- •34. Edward VII. England before World War I.The results of World War I.
- •35. Britain between the World Wars. The Results of World War II. Loss of colonies.
- •Ideological impact:
- •36. Britain at the end of 20th century.
- •37. Britain today: economy, political influence, role in the world.
- •Dates to be remembered
Passage Graves
Really another type of long barrow, these are Neolithic tombs begun a few centuries after the barrows, consisting of a central chamber reached by a narrow, low passage, all of stones. Most passage graves are surmounted by a round mound of earth rather than a tapering barrow. The best-preserved is Bryn Celli Ddu, in Gwynedd.
Callanish standing stones, Isle of Lewis
Callanish standing stones, Isle of Lewis
Stone Circles
Beginning as early as 3300 B.C. standing stones, often in the form of a circle or flattened oval, began to be erected around the British Isles. At least 900 of them still exist, though many more must have been destroyed in the march of 'progress'. The most famous, though not the most moving or impressive, is Stonehenge in Wiltshire. And no, Stonehenge was NOT built by the Druids; they missed out on all the hard work by several thousand years.
A lot of pretty outrageous claims have been made for the purpose of these circles, ranging from UFO landing pads to observatories for a highly evolved class of astronomer priests. The truth is probably a lot more mundane; most would have been an evolved form of the earlier henges and causewayed camps, functioning as multi-purpose tribal gathering places for ritual observances having to do with the seasons and the fertility of the earth.
Aside from Stonehenge, the most visitable stone circles are Avebury, in Wiltshire (author's choice as the cream of the crop), Castlerigg in Cumbria, and the Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire.
Paganism on the territory of Britain.
It is thought that the Anglo-Saxons might have believed in seven realms. The realm inhabited by humans was called Middangeard (like Midgard from Norse mythology). Another of the realms might have been Neorxnawang (a bit like Heaven from Christianity).
The Anglo-Saxons believed in many deities (gods).
Woden was the most widely worshiped Anglo-Saxon god. Woden was the ‘carrier of the dead’ and similarities have been identified between Woden, Odin (the Norse god) and Mercury (the Roman god).
When the Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity, Woden was re-invented as a legendary Anglo-Saxon king, and many Anglo-Saxon rulers claimed they were descended from Woden.
Thunor, the god of thunder and the sky, was another important Anglo-Saxon deity. Worshiped by the common man, Thunor’s symbols were the hammer and swastika. There are many similarities between Thunor and the Norse god Thor.
Tiw may have been an Anglo-Saxon god of war, and Frige may have been the goddess of love or feasting (or both).
Other Anglo-Saxon gods included: Frey (possibly a sacrificial deity), Seaxneat (worshiped by the East Saxon tribes), Eostre and Hretha (both mentioned in the works of the Venerable Bede).
The Anglo-Saxons also believed in elves (evil creatures), dwarves, ettins and dragons.
They worshiped at a variety of different religious sites, ranging from purpose built wooden-framed temples to sacred trees and hilltops.
Animal sacrifices were part of the Anglo-Saxon religion. Oxen and boars were ceremonially killed to honor the gods.
Anglo-Saxon burials took a number of different forms, some tribes favored cremation, whereas others buried their dead. Burial mounds started to be used in the 6th century. Ship burials also took place (for example at the Sutton Hoo site).
Many Anglo-Saxons (mostly women) wore amulets (made from cowrie shells, animal teeth, amber, amethyst, quartz and iron pyrite).