Welsh History Timeline

6,000 BC

Following the end of glaciation and sea level stabilisation, Wales becomes roughly the shape it is today and is inhabited by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers.

4000 BC

The earliest farming communities become established in Wales, marking the beginning of the Neolithic period. Megalithic tombs still survive from this period, such as the Pentre Ifan dolmen in Pembrokeshire. 

OVERVIEW OF THE WHOLE PREHISTORIC PERIOD IN WALES

Taken directly from the excellent but now archived BBC Wales website.

By the time the Romans arrived in Britain around 50 AD, people had lived in Wales for around 225,000 years.

Not all that time had seen continuous occupation, as icesheets moved to and fro across the north of Europe, but the hunter-gatherers of the Stone Age and the farmers of the Bronze and Iron Ages left a record for modern archaeologists to analyse.

For many decades, historians assumed that waves of population movement across Europe brought advances to this far-flung north-western corner of Europe. But modern DNA studies have shown that technological and physical developments were rather slower.

Around 225,000 BC, homo sapiens hadn't yet infiltrated Europe, so the human tooth found in the River Elwy valley in North Wales from that time was from an early proto-human, maybe an early Neanderthal.

Other, much later, Neanderthal remains have been found at Coygan Cave in Carmarthenshire. These date from about 50,000 BC.

The famous 'Red Lady of Paviland' dates from about 33,000 BC and is believed to be the oldest ceremonial burial yet discovered in Europe, but just as a society with burial customs and personal decoration was getting going in Wales, a 6,000-year-long ice age took hold.

Archaeologists now know that humans had recolonised Wales in 10,000 BC with a burial in Kendrick's Cave on the Great Orme near Llandudno. Again, this site has evidence of cultural complexity with the discovery of a geometrically-engraved horse's mandible.

The Mesolithic period of the Stone Age started in Wales at around 7,000 BC. Pembrokeshire holds some of the greatest concentrations of Mesolithic material in the UK, but sites can be found across Wales. Again there are examples of art and decaration, plus wooden structures.

The Neolithic period from 4000 BC in Wales is conventionally the period of organised farming that superceded the hunter-gatherer society. It also marked significant population growth, and a recognisable burial culture.

The Neolithic period is the first archaeological era to be visible on the surface of the Welsh landscape: chambered tombs such as Bryn Celli Ddu and Barclodiad y Gawres in Anglesey erupt out of the grass. A more subtle effect of the Neolithic period is visible too. Farming necessitated extensive wood clearing, which affected the very look of Wales until the present day.

The Neolithic period was an era still very much dependent on stone tools, but the technology was almost perfected. High-standard pottery was also present in Wales at this time. But the advent of metal-working made stone technology redundant.

From about 2,100 BC the bronze age saw copper seams in the Great Orme mined extensively. Amazing amounts of the metal were extracted from the hill, and made into bronze tools that found their way as far as northern Germany, pointing to the extensive trade links of Wales with the rest of Europe.

Cremation became more popular, but ceremonial burials were still held. A remarkable gold cape was found at Bryn Yr Ellyllion in Flintshire which dates from about 1,900 BC.

From about 1,250 BC a wetter climate led to much of the uplands of Wales becoming covered by unusable peat and population dispersal. Pressures may well have led to a move towards military defence of good land and the building of hillforts from about 800 BC.

Llyn Fawr in the Cynon Valley is the site of the discovery of the first iron implements found in Wales, from about 650 BC. Hill forts became more common with Castell Odo on the Lleyn Peninsular being the earliest.

For more a more specific article on the Stone Age go to the BBC Wales article at:

BBC Stone Age Article

For a more specific article on Welsh stone circles and hill forts go to the BBC Wales article at: 

BBC Article On Welsh Stone Circles and Hill Forts

2500–700 BC

Wales is part of Bronze Age Britain, a maritime trading culture selling tin, lead, iron, silver, gold, pearls, corn, cattle, hides, skins, fleeces, trained hunting dogs and slaves; while buying ivory, amber, glass vessels and other luxuries. Bronze axe heads from this area have been found on the coasts of Brittany and Germany.

650 BC

Implements start to be produced from iron, the earliest examples are believed to come from Llyn Fawr in South Wales.

400 BC

Iron Age settlements emerge in Wales, two of the earliest being Castell Odo, a small hillfort near the tip of the Llyn Peninsular, and Lodge Wood Camp, above the later Roman fort at Carleon.  

150 BC

Gold coins are being minted at least as early as this date, imitating Macedonian designs. 

54 BC

Tacitus later, in the 1st century AD, records that the Cymry, the Welsh, assisted in repelling Julius Caesar's second invasion.

48

The Roman conquest of Wales begins as the Deceangli tribe in the northeast submits to Publius Ostorius Scapula.

51

Caractacus/Caradog, a defeated chieftain from east England, encourages the Silures and Ordovices to attack Roman territories, ultimately unsuccessfully; he is betrayed by the Brigantes and taken to Rome as a prisoner.

52

A Roman legion, probably Legio XX Valeria Victrix, is defeated by the Silures.

75

The Silures have been defeated; Romans establish Venta Silurum , a market town in the Roman province of Britannia; the modern village of Caerwent in Monmouthsire is built around the Roman ruins; a Roman fortress at Caerleon is established for the Legio II Augusta.

77

Roman genera Gnaeus Julius Agricola  subjugates the Ordovices with ‘much slaughter.’

78

Gaius Suetonius Paulinus completes the Roman conquest of Wales, ending with his campaign to capture Anglesey; the conquest has involved at least thirteen campaigns, up to 30,000 soldiers and, due to Wales's particular terrain, the development of new tactics which were subsequently to be adopted in other parts of the empire.

Second Century

100–200

Roman rule over Britannia is less evident in Wales than in other parts of Britain; there are few Roman settlements, but a number of roads, camps and forts; the Romans exploit resources such as metal ores, and to a lesser extent coal.

150

According to Ptolemy, Wales was populated by five indistinct peoples, mostly of Celtic origin: Ordovices, Silures, Demetae, Deceangli and Gangani.

162

Llandaff was probably the site of the first Christian church built in Wales.

Third Century

Evidence of Christianity in Gwent.

Hoard of more than 3,000 Roman coins buried in a ceramic pot in Powys, discovered in 2011.

280

Vines introduced into Britain, including Glamorganshire; also first established around this time, fruit tree, vegetable and game species not previously indigenous.

Fourth Century

311–313

The edicts of Serdica and Milan allow Christians throughout the Empire to worship without restriction; there had been periods of persecution in Wales, including two martyrdoms: Julius and Aaron.

350–369

Influx of settlers from Ireland take advantage of soft Roman rule in Wales^.

383

Effective end of Roman rule in Wales; de facto Roman ruler Magnus Maximus leaves Wales defenceless when he embarks on a military campaign with considerable forces and remains on the continent with his troops.

389

Irish, Scots and Saxon invaders begin to fill the vacuum left by Magnus Maximus and his garrison. 

410

Roman garrisons withdrawn from Britain, followed by the emergence of Welsh kingdoms, principally GWynedd (north), Demetia (south, subsequently Dyfed and Powys (east).

THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN

The following is taken directly from the excellent archived BBC Wales history site.

Roman forces reached the borders of Wales in AD 48, five years after they had begun their conquest of Britain.

At that time, of course, Wales did not exist in any meaningful sense. Its people, like those of most of Britain, spoke a Celtic language, Brythonic, the language which would eventually evolve into Welsh.

In the first century the region had at least five tribal groupings: the Deceangli in the North East; the Ordovices in the North West; the Demetians in the South West; the Silurians in the South East; and the Cornovii in the central borderlands.

In pre-Roman Britain, there existed a status quo born largely through co-operation between the dominant powers in the continent and the tribal kingdoms of Britain. According to the historian Strabo's Geography, written during this period, Britain paid more in customs and duties than could be raised through taxation if the country was conquered.

However, it was a fragile tolerance, and the Emperor Augustus had prepared invasions in 34 BC, 27 BC and 25 BC, which were called off due to incursions elsewhere or peace settlements between the two factions.

At the time, the dominant power in Britain was the Catevallauni tribe. It controlled land ranging from Surrey to Essex, and operated a developed society structure including established international trade routes and production of its own coins. In the fourth decade AD the king of the Catevellauni was Cunobelinus, who enjoyed friendly relations with the Roman Empire.

When Cunobelinus died in c.40 AD his sons Caratacus and Togodumnus took his place. His third son Amminius, or Adminius, had previously been exiled by his father, and was aggrieved at being passed over for power.

Amminius appealed to Rome for assistance in establishing his claim to the kingdom, and persuaded Caligula that Britain was vulnerable to attack. Amminius' actions provided the perfect opportunity for Romans forces to invade, but although plans were made, troops only got as far as Boulogne in 40 AD.

Rome's perceived unwillingness to return the fugitive Amminius to his father led to a rise in anti-Roman feeling in Britain. Caligula's successor, Emperor Claudius, felt duty bound to take action.

In 43 AD, 40,000 troops, under the command of Aulus Plautius, invaded Britain. It was nominally in support of Verica, the British client king of the Empire whose kingdom had been defeated by Caratacus after 40 AD, but it allowed the Romans to establish a power base in a strategically important position.

British resistance was led by Togodumnus and Caratacus of the Catevellauni, but they were to be no match. Caratacus, then Togodumnus, were defeated on the rivers Medway and Thames.

Togodumnus died shortly after the battle. Caratacus retreated to the west, where he went on to lead the resistance in Wales. He would become immortalised as the great warrior Caradog.

For other excellent articles on the Romans in Wales visit the BBC Wales website at:

BBC Wales Romans in Wales Articles

480

Tydfil, later Saint Tydfil, a daughter of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog (later Brecknockshire) is murdered at Merthyr.

490

Dubricius is appointed archbishop of Caerleon and Llandaff; he founds several colleges, including asylums for the aged and schools for the young

500–542

The supposed time of the legendary King Arthur, of Welsh parentage and crowned at Caerleon, referred to by early writers such as Nennius, Geoffrey of Monmouth and many others, but considered by more modern historians as a combination of ‘monkish legends and chivalrous fiction.’ 

c. 500-589

The time of Dewi ap Sanctus (grandson of Ceredig, founder of Ceredigion), who later became Saint David, patron saint of Wales.

519

Bishop Dubricius presides over the Synod of Llanddewi Brefi, during which he resigns and recommends that Bishop Dewi succeed him; this is approved.

522

Dewi moves the seat of the primacy to Myyw, where the see became known as St David's, but the settlement was called Menevia at least until the 13th century, and later became the city of St David's

547

Death of Maelgwn Gwynedd, king of Gwynedd, known for funding the foundation of Christian churches throughout Wales; Maelgwn may have died of the bubonic plague, a pandemic that spread across Europe and beyond in the early 540s, mostly via trade routes.

560

Death of Bishop Dewi. His episcopal see at Menevia is renamed Ty Ddewi, The House of David, in his honour.

To be continued