Timeline of prehistoric Britain

Events from the prehistory of Britain (to 1 BC). The entries are backed by modern research in archaeology.

Events

c. 950,000 or 840,000 BC
- 2010. Flints worked in south-eastern Britain.^[1]
c. 800,000 BC
- Happisburgh early flint workings; footprints.
c. 700,000 BC
- Pakefield early flint workings.
c. 500,000 BC
- Eartham Pit, Boxgrove the oldest known human remains found in Britain.
c. 250,000 BC
- Swanscombe Man (actually a woman), the second oldest known human remains found in Britain.^[2]
c. 180,000 BC
- English Channel forms, separating Britain from the mainland.^[3]
c. 26,000 BC
- Cave-dwelling Upper Paleolithic peoples in Britain.^[2]
c. 10,000 BC
- Last Ice Age ends.^[2]
c. 8300 BC
- Mesolithic period begins.^[2]
- Cheddar Man, the oldest complete human skeleton found in Britain.^[4]
c. 7600 BC
- Howick house in Northumberland, a Mesolithic building.^[5]
c. 4000 BC
- Neolithic period begins in Britain, introducing the first agriculture.^[2]
c. 3000 BC
- First henge monuments.^[2]
c. 2600 BC
- Main phase of construction at Stonehenge begins, replacing earlier wooden and earthen works.
c. 2300 BC
- Arrival of the Beaker People in Britain.^[2]
c. 1800 BC
- Wessex culture brings bronze-working to Britain.^[2]
c. 1600 BC
- Last construction at Stonehenge.
c. 1400 BC
- Wessex culture replaced by more agrarian peoples; stone circles and early hillforts produced.^[2]
c. 800 BC
- Celts bring iron working to Britain; Hallstatt Culture.^[2]
c. 400 BC
- Parisi tribe from northern France settle in Yorkshire.^[2]
- First brochs constructed.^[2]
c. 330 BC
- Pytheas of Massilia circumnavigates Britain.^[2]
c. 300 BC
- La Tene artwork introduced from northern France.^[2]
c. 100 BC
- First wave of Belgic invaders settle in the south-east, establishing the Catuvellauni and Trinovantes tribes.^[2]
- First coins introduced.^[2]
c. 80 BC
- Second wave of Belgic invaders settle in Sussex, Berkshire, and Hampshire, establishing the Atrebates and Regnenses tribes.^[2]
55 BC
- Commius, chieftain of the Atrebates, captured by the British after serving as an envoy to Rome.^[2]
- 26 August – Julius Caesar lands between Deal and Walmer, wins skirmishes against the British, and frees Commius.^[2]
- 31 August – Britons in war-chariots defeat the Romans. Romans return to Gaul.^[2]
54 BC
- July – Julius Caesar invades Britain and defeats the Catuvellauni under Cassivellaunus.^[2]
- September – Tribute fixed, and peace agreed between the Catevellauni and the Trinovantes, allied with Rome. Romans return to Gaul.^[2]
50 BC
- Fleeing to Britain after a failed revolt in Gaul, Commius becomes chieftain of the Atrebates.^[2]
34 BC
- Emperor Octavian makes an alliance with the Atrebates and Trinovantes.^[2]
c. 25 BC
- Tincommius, leader of the Atrebates, issues Roman-style coinage.^[2]

References

↑ Parfitt, Simon A.; Ashton, Nick M.; Lewis, Simon G.; Abel, Richard L.; Coope, G. Russell; Field, Mike H.; Gale, Rowena; Hoare, Peter G.; Larkin, Nigel R.; Lewis, Mark D.; Karloukovski, Vassil (2010). "Early Pleistocene human occupation at the edge of the boreal zone in northwest Europe". Nature. 466 (7303): 229–233. doi:10.1038/nature09117. ISSN 1476-4687.
↑ ^2.00 ^2.01 ^2.02 ^2.03 ^2.04 ^2.05 ^2.06 ^2.07 ^2.08 ^2.09 ^2.10 ^2.11 ^2.12 ^2.13 ^2.14 ^2.15 ^2.16 ^2.17 ^2.18 ^2.19 ^2.20 ^2.21 ^2.22 ^2.23 ^2.24 Palmer, Alan & Veronica (1992). The Chronology of British History. London: Century Ltd. pp. 13–16. ISBN 0-7126-5616-2.
↑ Gupta, Sanjeev; Jenny S. Collier; Andy Palmer-Felgate; Graeme Potter (2007). "Catastrophic flooding origin of shelf valley systems in the English Channel". Nature. 448 (7151): 342–345. Bibcode:2007Natur.448..342G. doi:10.1038/nature06018. PMID 17637667. S2CID 4408290. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
↑ Meiklejohn, C (2011). "Radiocarbon Dating Of Mesolithic Human remains in Great Britain". Mesolithic Miscellany. 21: 20–58.
↑ Richards, Julian (17 February 2011). "Britain's Oldest House?". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2018.

[1] Parfitt, Simon A.; Ashton, Nick M.; Lewis, Simon G.; Abel, Richard L.; Coope, G. Russell; Field, Mike H.; Gale, Rowena; Hoare, Peter G.; Larkin, Nigel R.; Lewis, Mark D.; Karloukovski, Vassil (2010). "Early Pleistocene human occupation at the edge of the boreal zone in northwest Europe". Nature. 466 (7303): 229–233. doi:10.1038/nature09117. ISSN 1476-4687.

[CBH-2] 2.00 ^2.01 ^2.02 ^2.03 ^2.04 ^2.05 ^2.06 ^2.07 ^2.08 ^2.09 ^2.10 ^2.11 ^2.12 ^2.13 ^2.14 ^2.15 ^2.16 ^2.17 ^2.18 ^2.19 ^2.20 ^2.21 ^2.22 ^2.23 ^2.24 Palmer, Alan & Veronica (1992). The Chronology of British History. London: Century Ltd. pp. 13–16. ISBN 0-7126-5616-2.

[3] Gupta, Sanjeev; Jenny S. Collier; Andy Palmer-Felgate; Graeme Potter (2007). "Catastrophic flooding origin of shelf valley systems in the English Channel". Nature. 448 (7151): 342–345. Bibcode:2007Natur.448..342G. doi:10.1038/nature06018. PMID 17637667. S2CID 4408290. Retrieved 2007-07-18.

[4] Meiklejohn, C (2011). "Radiocarbon Dating Of Mesolithic Human remains in Great Britain". Mesolithic Miscellany. 21: 20–58.

[BBC2011-5] Richards, Julian (17 February 2011). "Britain's Oldest House?". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2018.

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