40000
BC
Paleolithic or Early Stone Age
People settle in South West
Britain but no remains from this period have been
found in Cornwall
|
10000
BC
Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age
As the last Ice Age retreats,
the 'Beaker People' begin to build settlements in
Cornwall - predominantly around the coasts.
|
3000
BC
Neolithic or New Stone Age
The Megalithic
Culture came to prominence. The
period of the monument builders. Remains include
the numerous Hill Forts, Cromlechs and Quoits.
|
2000
BC to 500 BC
The Bronze Age
Further settlement in Cornwall.
These new settlers were skilled in metal -working.
Possibly the start of Cornish Mining - mainly
from alluvial deposits at this time. A period of
great defensive building of 'Cliff
Castles' all along the Cornish coast
as well as Barrows. The Start of Trade between
peoples. The Dead were buried singly or cremated.
|
500
BC to 55 BC
The Iron Age
The Celts
from Central Europe [La Tène / Hallstatt
cultures] expand north and west into Britain.
Further Hill Forts were constructed. Compared to
the previous settlers, the Celts were more
civilised, with a structured society and were
well trained in battle...As Julius Caesar later
put it ....'they seemed to have no fear of
Death'.
|
54
BC to 43 AD
The Rise of Rome
The Romans under
Julius Caesar invaded and conquered Gaul in
56 BC, before probing, and demanding tribute from
the tribes of South East Britain in 55 BC.
Internal Roman Politics back home in Italy give
the British a brief interlude of almost a
century, before the Romans return in earnest.
|
43
AD to 410 AD
The Roman Invasion of Britain
The Romans under
Emperor Claudius invade and occupy Britain.
South-west Britain is however left largely
untouched by the Romans. The Celts of the region
- 'The
Dumnonii' were left largely
to their own devices. The Second
Legion Augusta were stationed at the
capital of the Celtic capital: Isca Dumnoniiorum
(present-day Exeter)
|
.410
AD
The Fall of Rome
The Goths started attacking Rome in about 238 AD. Gradually the barbarian tribes
wore down the Roman Empire over the next 150
years or so. In 410 AD, the Visigoths
invaded Spain and
Italy and sacked Rome.
This caused Rome to recall her legions
from Britain, stating that Britain should 'look
to its own defence'
|
410
AD - 1000 AD
The 'Dark Ages'
A time of mystery and legend.
Little is known of this period. After the fall of
the 'enlightened and civilised' Romans and their
supported regimes it is thought this period was a
time of incessant war and revolt. Fact gets
superceded by myth. The time of King
Arthur, The Knights of the Round
Table, Lancelot, Merlin & Vortigern, Tristan
& Isolde.
|
440
- 450 AD
The Anglo-Saxon Invasion
Jutes, Angles and Saxons were
at first invited to Britain to act as mercenaries
against the raids of the Picts and Irish. They
rebel and the Saxons under Hengist and
Horsa capture Kent (Ceint) initially.
The Saxon armies fan out over the next 200 years
to capture and control large swathes of South and
East Britain. They press ever westward
winning several major battles along the way...except
Mount Badon.
|
710
AD
Advance of the West Saxons
After their victory at Dyrham
Down near Bristol, in 577 AD,
the Saxons press ever westward. They conquer
Devon in 682 AD with
Isca first occupied by the Saxons in 710
AD. Cornwall remained independent for a
time largely due to the fact that King
Roderic of the Britons (Wales &
Cornwall) won a great victory over his Saxon
counterpart Adelred in 722AD.
|
787
- 814 AD
The Cornish-Danish Alliance
The Christianized Vikings (Danes)
land on the Cornish coast in about 807AD
and form an Alliance with the Cornish to fight
against the 'heathen' West Saxons. Saxon King
Ecgbert of Wessex first conquers Cornwall in 814
AD. He does not succeed in totally
subjugating the population. The Alliance 'holds
its own' in battles for the next 25 years or so.
|
838
AD
The Saxon Invasion of Cornwall
The West Saxons (Wessex)
finally defeat the Cornish-Danish Alliance in 838
AD however at Hingston Down,
near Callington.
|
927
AD
The capture of Exeter (Isca)
Isca now known as Exeter, is
attacked, captured and occupied by the Saxons
under Athelstan. All Celts told to leave the city
or be removed by force....an early form of
'ethnic cleansing' ??
|
936
AD
Tamar set as Cornish border
The River Tamar is fixed as
the border between Cornwall and England. The east
bank is Anglo-Saxon England, the west bank is
Celtic Cornwall.
|
