Origin of the English Nation.doc

Origin of the English Nation The first known settlers of Britain were the Iberians. More dramatic monuments were the henges（圆形石结构）, the most important of which was Stonehenge in Wiltshire. Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, One of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. Archaeologists believe that the standing stones were erected around 2200 BC and the surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The Native Celts The Celts may originally have come from eastern and central Europe, they came to Britain in three main waves: the first wave was the Gaels, the second was Britons and the third was Belgae. Celts (凯尔特人), also called the Britons, are regarded as the natives of Great Britain. They are believed to be ancestors of the Highland Scots, the Irish and the Welsh people. They came from eastern and central Europe, (now called France, Belgium(比利时)and southern Germany) Celts began to move into Great Britain in about 700 BC when the island was still covered with dense forests and swamps The importance of the Celts: 1)They were hunters as well as practiced farmers. They drained much of the marshlands(沼泽地)for agricultural purposes. They built houses of wood and wickerwork(柳条制品) with a weather-proof coating of mud 2) Some of the Celtic words or sounds were later assimilated into the English language Roman Conquest In 55 BC, the great Roman general Julius Caesar sailed across the English Channel with 10,000 men after he had conquered Gaul高卢(what is now France). He wanted to see if England would make a good colony. He landed in Kent. Julius Caesar did not stay long in England and soon went back to Rome. He returned the next year with a large army and defeated some of the Celts. But he had no intention of staying there, and return to Rome before