The discovery of iron in ancient Britain | History - Ancient Voices

The remains of a 2,000 year old bucket, used on special occasions, gives us a clue to the nature of the Iron Age in Britain - how it began, and how it affected British society.

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A 2,000 year old bucket used on special occasions (or what remains of it), gives us a clue to the nature of the Iron Age, although most of the bucket was still made from wood and bronze. Archaeologist Raksha Dave looks into iron mining in the Forest of Dean which dates back nearly 2,500 years, in an area where iron ore was found near the surface. Later, pits such as Clearwell Caves went deeper underground as demand rose for the newer, lighter, and stronger metal. People tried to keep the process of making iron secret to preserve their power. It was often regarded as magic.

This clip is from the BBC series Ancient Voices. In a series of short films, archaeologist Raksha Dave explores the amazing places, monuments and archaeological finds left behind from prehistoric Britain to build a picture of what it must have been like living in the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages.

Presented by Raksha Dave, field archaeologist on Channel 4\'s Time Team, with a wealth of knowledge about the world before history was documented in Britain, the films are specifically aimed at children of Key Stage 2 age for BBC Learning Zone.

To bring prehistory alive and show how the ancient people of Britain shaped where we live now, Raksha makes a razor-sharp flint tool, helps to cast a bronze axe and, using only a red deer antler, mines iron ore in an ancient mine. She visits the exceptional Stone Age burial at Paviland, explores Stonehenge - where, nearby, the biggest discovery of prehistoric gold was unearthed - and enters the Secret Forest, home to the only known prehistoric open-cast iron mines in the world. Raksha also has a chance to help out with daubing a replica Neolithic home, tries on Bronze Age clothes and feasts on Iron Age food.

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For Class Clips users, the original reference for the clip was p02mbj26.

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Teaching History?

You could compare the impact of iron weapons and tools with that of bronze. Which, in your opinion, had the biggest impact or made the biggest changes? You could ask the children to describe what it would be like to mine iron ore 2,000 years ago before showing them the clip, then asking them how realistic their version was. You could compare iron mining in the Iron Age with mining today, when huge machines are used. You could show them the ochre used to create prehistoric drawings and let the children use the ochre to make their own drawings.

This clip will be relevant for teaching History at KS2 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2nd Level in Scotland.

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