Figure 1.--

Scotland in antiquity was known by the Romans as Caledoinia. Little is known of the early inhabitants of Scotland. Human habitation of cotland appears to date from about 8500 BC. The appear to have been a mixed group of aborigines and unidentified European tribes of the Indo-Euroipean lingistic stock. Some archeologists believe that Scotland was settled by Iberians. The one group which is know is the Picts, a war-like people who were able to resist the Roman invasion. The term Pict is Roman in origin. The Romans called the pre-Celtic people in northern Britain "Pictii", meaning painted people. This appears to have referred the Pict pratice of tatooing their bodies. Roman General Gnaeus Julius Agricola invaded Caledonia in the late 1st century AD and reached the Firth of Forth. The Picts and rebelious Britons pushed north by the Romans appeared to have successfully resisted the Romans in the area between the Firth of Fourth and the Clyde. Resistance was so successful that the Emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of a defensive wall from Solvay Firth to the mouth of the River Tyne which is today known as Hadrian's Wall (122 AD). Another wall was subsequently constructed further north which became known as the Wall of Pius (140s). This wall extended from the Firth of Fourth to the Firth of Clyde. The area between the two walls became the Roman first line of defense against the ancient Caledonians. The area south of the Wall of Pius became partially Romanized and this endured into Medieval and modern times as the Wall of Pius is roughly the dividing line between the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands. Litte information is available on the clothing worn by the ancient Picts.

Early Inhabitants

Little is known of the early inhabitants of Scotland. Human habitation of cotland appears to date from about 8500 BC. The appear to have been a mixed group of aborigines and unidentified European tribes of the Indo-European lingistic stock. The original population were hunter-gatheres. They hunted and fished and gathered fruits and berries from the plentiful forrests. This began to cahnge about 4,000 BC when the nomadic people began to settle in productive and sheltered river valleys and farm and raisr live stock. It is at this time they begin to clear the primal forrests. Neolithic people from modern Spain and France are believed to have first settled Scotland. Some archeologists report a definite Iberian influence. Archeologists speculate that these built the great chambered cairns which have been found in the Scottish countryside. The Beaker people probably originating in northern Europe later moved into Scotland. The mingling of these two groups probably formed the pre-Celtic stock of Scotland.

The Picts

The one identifiable group which is know is the Picts, a war-like people who were able to resist the Roman invasion. The term Pict is Roman in origin. The Romans called the pre-Celtic people in northern Britain "Pictii", meaning painted people. This appears to have referred the Pict pratice of tatooing their bodies. The Celts referred to them as the Cruithne. The origins of the Picts is a mater of considerable historical debate. Some believe them to be Teutonic. Others believe them to be Gaelic speaking Celts. Some believe that they were a non-Aryan people. Another theory is that they were Celts allied to the Cymry rather than the Gael of southern Britain. Increasingly modern scholars appear to be increasinfly concluding that the Picts were a mixed group consisting primarily of the pre-Celtic people of ancient Britain. Although associated with Scotland, the Picts are believed to have inhabited much of Britain before being pushed north by the Celts who arrived in Britain about 500 BC during the pre-Roman era. The Celts did not encounter a Pictish natioin, but rather loosely assoicuated still largely nomadic tribes. It is likely that at least in southern Britain there was a degree of mingling between the Picts and Celts. The Celts certainly influenced the Picts and the Picting language was a mixture of Celtic and older elements. Besides their role in Scotland, the Picts appear to be the ancestors of the southern Welsh and the Firbolgs of western Ireland. Very little is known about the Ancient Picts because they had no written language. Thus almost all available information is archeological evidence such as burial sites and carved stones. The little that has come down in history comes from the Romans, the only people in ancient times to encoubter them that had a written language. Tactitus reports that a Pict chief named Calgacus said, "We, the most distant dwellers upon the earth, the last of the free, have been shielded ... by our remoteness and by the obscurity which has shrouded our name ... Beyond us lies no nation, nothing but waves and rocks."

The Romans

Scotland in antiquity was known by the Romans as Caledoinia. The Romans after subduing most of Britain pushed north. Roman General Gnaeus Julius Agricola invaded Caledonia in the late 1st century AD and reached the Firth of Forth. The Picts and rebelious Britons pushed north by the Romans appeared to have successfully resisted the Romans in the area between the Firth of Fourth and the Clyde. Resistance was so successful that the Emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of a defensive wall from Solvay Firth to the mouth of the River Tyne which is today known as Hadrian's Wall (122 AD). Another wall was subsequently constructed further north which became known as the Wall of Pius (140s). This wall extended from the Firth of Fourth to the Firth of Clyde. The area between the two walls became the Roman first line of defense against the ancient Caledonians. Eventually the Romans tired of the Pictish Wars and retired to the southern or Hadrian;s WAll. The area south of the Wall of Pius, however, became partially Romanized and this endured into Medieval and modern times as the Wall of Pius is roughly the dividing line between the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands. Emperor Severus troubled by the raids by Pict and other northern tribes personally came to Britain to lead a campaign to subdue them (208). He had little success. The Picts are described along with other Caledonians by Constantius Chlorus who was campaigning against them (296).

Clothing

Litte information is available on the clothing worn by the ancient Picts.

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Created: September 10, 2003
Last updated: September 10, 2003