Iron Age Settlement

The Iron Age is a period in history characterised by the widespread use of iron for tools and weapons. It was also a period of significant cultural and technological change as the use of iron tools allowed communities to clear land and increase agricultural production. Iron weaponry and armour changed the dynamics of warfare and military strategy. This scene allows students to investigate an Iron Age hillfort and learn about what life would have been like living in an Iron Age settlement. Students will be able to explore the defensive features of the forts and interact with some of the tools and weapons of the time.

Learning Objectives: 

1:To identify when the Iron Age was.{.info} 

2: To understand how Iron Age settlements would have been built.{.info} 

3: To explain some key features of Iron Age forts.{.info} 

 
# The Iron Age{.objective .objective1}

Students will be able to identify some features of the period, such as the use of iron as the predominant metal in tool and weapon production.

Students will be directed to look down the hill at the fields below the fort and the area just outside the fort. They should consider what could be growing there, how it could have been used and how the farming equipment would have impacted the lives of the people of the time.

# Defences{.objective .objective2}

In this section, students will learn why settlements were often built on top of hills. They will explore defensive measures such as ramparts and watchtowers and examine the types of weapons that would have been used.

Students can climb up the defensive wall and look down to the fields below to consider how this would have helped the fort dwellers prepare for an attack. They will be asked to try to pick up the stones from the basket on the wall and reflect on why they were placed there.

# Life in the Settlement{.objective .objective3}

Students will learn about some of the roles and features of an Iron Age settlement, including communal activities, residents' occupations, and some of the different tools that could have been used in daily life.

They will be asked to locate the Blacksmith's area, identify the tools and weapons they find, and consider what they might have been used for.

# Teacher Resources

### Download Teacher Notes

[](https://data.avncloud.com/activities/804435/files/Iron%20Age+Settlements+Teacher+Notes+1.pdf?date=1686740075&size=1515232&md5=5cc696d193bda9f10e57f84d153715e0)

### Student Quiz Answers Document

[](https://data.avncloud.com/activities/804438/files/Iron%20Age+Settlements+Teacher+Notes+2.pdf?date=1686740121&size=991853&md5=78635d26e066d3a74ee3ab96f31795ee)

### Download Student Quiz Document

[](https://data.avncloud.com/activities/804439/files/Iron%20Age+Settlements+Teacher+Notes+3.pdf?date=1686740161&size=95783&md5=de320f059c229997eadddce3014b12e1)