The first written records for the
history of France appear in the
Iron Age. What is now France made up the bulk of the region known to the Romans as
Gaul. Roman writers noted the presence of three main ethno-linguistic groups in the area: the
Gauls, the
Aquitani, and the
Belgae. The Gauls, the largest and best attested group, were
Celtic people speaking what is known as the
Gaulish language.