For thousands of years, the peninsula which juts out from the southwest corner of Albion, was home to small bands of Neolithic hunter-gatherers. These people seem to have favored high points adjacent to river valleys for their temporary camps. They eventually learned the working of bronze, and mined tin in the mountainous areas. Broad expanses of oak forest were cleared during this period, leaving behind the scrubby moors. There is evidence upon these moors of agricullture dating back to 3500 BC.


In the first millenium BC, the Celts arrived, bringing with them the knowledge of iron. They displaced or intermingled with the native population, setting up their ringforts on those same hills. The two main tribes were the Dumnoni and the Durotriges, which are actually Latin names applied to them a a later date. These people were true Iron Age Celts, and were by no means savages. They mined tin and Iron on Dartmoor and Exemoor, and traded these metals to both the Phoenecians and the Greeks.


Territorial conflicts with the Belgae to the east resulted in the building of numerous hillforts along the boundary between these two groups. When the Romans arrived in Britain, they pushed north and west, encountering fierce resistance as they went. They seem to have had some difficulty in taking these hilly regions along the border. Assuredly, there were conflicts and battles between the Romans and the Dumnoni. However none of the Roman historians recorded a single victory over these people. It is strongly believed that the Dumnoni were relatively autonomous during the entire Roman Occupation.



The capital of the Dumnonii tribe was believed to be at the site of modern Exeter, which they called Caer Uisc, inspiring the Roman name: Isca Dumnonioram. Little is known of the original Celtic hillfort. When the Romans arrived around 50 AD, they erected proper Roman Walls atop the earthen embankment of the Celts. Roman roads ran east, west and north, connecting Isca Dumnoniorum with the rest of the Empire. One must assume the Dumnoni cooperated with the occupation forces, as they seemed to prosper and grow, whereas many of the neighboring tribes were not so fortunate. It is written by Ptolemy that the Celts were assigned to a certain "quarter" of the fort. However, from the old drawings of the roads and streets, one can assume that their "quarter" took nearly 70% of the enclosed area. Around 75 AD the garrison was vacated, the army moved on, and a town grew up on the site of the fort.


The Roman influence was evident in the structure of the town. There was a central "forum" which served as a meeting place and market. There were public baths where people met to socialize. The Romans set up Caer Uisc (which they called "Isca") as their center of operations for southwest Britain and consequently it reflected a veneer of Roman culture. The most prosperous inhabitants lived in stone houses with mosaic tile floors, and even enjoyed central heating while the rest lived in humble wooden huts. A thick wall was built around the town in the second century.
By 400 AD the Romans were leaving Caer Uisc and their style of living went with them. The people returned to their old ways, most of them leaving the walled town and going back to farming in the countryside. Caer Uisc, or Exeter, faded from prominence until the Saxons arrived around 680 and Built a monastery inside the walls.