СТРАНОВЕДЕНИЕ (290,00 руб.)

ANCIENT BRITAIN In prehistoric times Britain was joined to the rest of the continent. <...> The first human inhabitants of Britain, and many of its animal inhabitants, came there over dry land. <...> Towards the end of the Ice Age the mighty prehistoric river, which joined the present-day Thames with the Rhine, overwhelmed the land joining Britain to the Continent and formed the present English Channel. <...> In the period immediately after its formation the Channel was too stormy and full of strong currents to allow access to Britain by the nearest overseas route. <...> The first inhabitants of the island for whom a traditional name exists are the Iberians or Megalithic men, who probably form the basis of the present-day population in Western England, Wales, North and Western Scotland and Ireland. <...> The second wave of Celtic tribes, the Brythonic Celts or Brythons, from whose name is derived the word Britain, arrived in England between 600 and 500 BC and settled in the South of England, in Wales and in North-West England and South-West Scotland. <...> Their language developed into the Celtic language of modern Wales. <...> A third wave of invaders, Belgae from Northern Gaul, containing many people of Teutonic origin, arrived about 100 BC and occupied the greater part of what are now known as the Home Counties (the central part of Great Britain). <...> Julius Caesar was the first to carry the Roman banner to the British Isles. <...> The routes of some of these roads, such as Watling Street from London to Chester; Icknield Way connecting London with Cirencester, Gloucester and Caerleon in South Wales, are still used today. <...> The Angles, Saxons and Jutes turned their special attention to the British Isles. <...> The Angles in the north and east made kingdoms called Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia. <...> Although the German invaders occupied most of the British Isles, certain refuge areas were left to the natives. <...> The peasant who had been unfortunate with his harvest quite often became a hired agricultural labourer. <...> His domain included large possessions in France.' To his new English possessions he soon added some Scotch territory, established his lordship over Wales and made 'conquests' in Ireland. <...> This particular device did not work well but it gave the barons the advantage to start a political struggle <...>