Britain

Ancient Attractions

Britain was a magnet for the Mediterranean peoples. Sailing out from the Straights of Gibralter the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans found the tin they sought to harden copper and make bronze. With bronze weapons armies could defeat softer iron weapons and mould statues. Tin mining and trade began c3500 BC. The attraction to Cornwall's Tin and Devon soon led to exploitation of Britain's gold, iron, and lead. Such mineral explotation required considerable numbers of people and the quality of the local agriculture became apparent, which led to colonisation by the Celts, Romans, Germannic peoples (Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Francs, Belgians, Danes), and Normans.