Neolithic Greece
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Neolithic Greece is an archaeological term used to refer to the Neolithic phase of Greek history beginning with the spread of farming to Greece in 7000–6500 BC, and ending around 3200 BC. During this period, many developments occurred such as the establishment and expansion of a mixed farming and stock-rearing economy, architectural innovations (i.e. "megaron-type" and "Tsangli-type" houses), as well as elaborate art and tool manufacturing. Neolithic Greece is part of the Prehistory of Southeastern Europe.
Periodization
The Neolithic Revolution reached Europe beginning in 7000–6500 BC, during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period, when agriculturalists from the Near East entered the Greek peninsula from Anatolia mainly by island-hopping through the Aegean Sea.[1] Modern archaeologists have divided the Neolithic period of Greek history into six phases: Pre-Pottery, Early Neolithic, Middle Neolithic, Late Neolithic I, Late Neolithic II and Final Neolithic (or Chalcolithic).
Period | Approximate date |
---|---|
Pre-Pottery (or Aceramic) | 6800–6500 BC[2] |
Early Neolithic | 6500–5800 BC[3] |
Middle Neolithic | 5800–5300 BC[4] |
Late Neolithic I | 5300–4800 BC[5] |
Late Neolithic II | 4800–4500 BC[6] |
Final Neolithic (or Chalcolithic) | 4500–3200 BC[7] |
Sites of Neolithic Greece
These are the estimated populations of
Town | 7000 BC | 6000 BC | 5000 BC | 4000 BC | 3800 BC | 3700 BC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nea Nikomedeia
|
500–700[8] | |||||
Sesklo | 1000–5000[9] | |||||
Dimini | ||||||
Athens | ||||||
Poliochne | ||||||
Knossos | 25 | 50 | 500–1000 | 500–1000[11] | ||
Trapeza | ||||||
Gerani | ||||||
Lerna | ||||||
Kefala | ||||||
Alepotrypa cave
|
||||||
Milos | ||||||
Servia |
Pre-Ceramic 6800–6500 BC
The Pre-Ceramic (or Aceramic) period of Neolithic Greece is characterized by the absence of baked clay pots and an economy based on farming and stock-rearing.
Knossos has an extremely long history that begins during the Pre-Ceramic period. The first Neolithic settlements in Knosos area were developed in 6,500 - 7,000 BC according to modern radiocarbon. Arthur Evans, who revealed the Minoan Knossos palace, estimated that during the late 8th Millennium or early 9th Millennium BC Neolithic people arrived in the area, probably from overseas, possibly from Western Anatolia and established their primitive communities in the local hill.[12]
The volcanic island of
Early Neolithic (EN) 6500–5800 BC
The Pre-Ceramic period of Neolithic Greece was succeeded by the Early Neolithic period (or EN) where the economy was still based on farming and stock-rearing and settlements still consisted of independent one-room huts with each community inhabited by 50 to 100 people (the basic social unit was the clan or extended family).
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Ancient Greece Early and Middle Neolithic Clay Figurines from Thessaly, 6500-5300 BC.
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Ancient Greek Early and Middle Neolithic pottery 6500-5300 BC. National Museum of Archaeology, Athens.
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Monochrome bowls from Sesklo. Early Neolithic period (6500-5800 BC). Archaeological Museum Athens
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Neolithic clay cups from Sesklo. National Museum Athens
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Obsidian, used for making tools and weapons
Middle Neolithic (MN) 5800–5300 BC
The Middle Neolithic period (or MN) is characterized by new architectural developments such as houses constructed with stone foundations and the development of megaron-type dwellings (rectangular one-roomed houses with open or closed porches).[4] Furthermore, the "Tsangli-type" house, named after the settlement of Tsangli, was first developed during the Middle Neolithic period; the "Tsangli-type" dwelling has two interior buttresses on each side (designed to support the roof of the house and divide the dwelling space into separate rooms for distinct functions such as storage, food preparation and sleep quarters) with a row of posts in the center of the square room.[4] In the realm of art, the meander-labyrinth motif was found on seals and jewellery of the Early Neolithic period and, to a lesser extent, of the Middle Neolithic period.[4] The Middle Neolithic period ended with the devastation of certain settlements by fire; communities such as Sesklo were abandoned whereas communities such as Tsangli-Larisa were immediately re-inhabited.[4]
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Female figurine, marble, Thessaly, 5300–3300 BC
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Female figurine of a woman holding a baby, Sesklo, Neolithic, 4800–4500 BC
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Findings from Sesklo, Neolithic Period, c. 5300 BC
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Ancient Greece Neolithic stone figurine, 6500-3300 BC.
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Ancient Greece Neolithic clay figurines, 6500-3300 BC.
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Ancient Greece Neolithic stone tools and weapons.
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Ancient Greece Neolithic stone grinder.
Late Neolithic (LN) 5300-4500 BC
Late Neolithic I (LNI)
The Late Neolithic I period (or LNI) is characterized by settlement expansion and the intensification of the farming economy where shrubs and wooded areas were cleared in order to secure grazing fields and arable lands.
Late Neolithic II (LNII)
The Late Neolithic I period was succeeded by the Late Neolithic II period (or LNII) where economic and social life in existing settlements continued uninterruptedly.[6]
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Clay vase with polychrome decoration, Dimini, Magnesia, Late or Final Neolithic (5300-3300 BC). Ceramic; height: 25 cm (93⁄4 in.), diameter at rim: 12 cm (43⁄4 in.); National Archaeological Museum (Athens).
Final Neolithic (FN) 4500–3200 BC
The Final Neolithic (or Chalcolithic) period entails the transition from the Neolithic farming and stock-rearing economy to the metal-based economy of the
The Alimia and Rhodes islands had Neolithic settlements. Specifically in Alimia the settlement was on a mountain in the center of the island, which provided perfect view of the entire local area and protection. Ruins of Neolithic stone buildings were revealed during archeological research.[16]
Eutresis culture developed during the ending period of the Final Neolithic. It was based on the Final Neolithic culture of central and southern Greece. It lasted until the Early Helladic II.[17]
Society
The social classes of the late Neolithic communities were strictly distinguished into free men and slaves; a phenomenon that continued until the early Mycenaean period.[18]
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Figurine of the Karditsa Thinker, Thessaly, 4500-3300 BC
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Gold ornaments[19]
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Gold ornaments[20]
Warfare in Neolithic Greece
Destruction of Sesklo
The remains of Sesklo indicate fire and destruction, a sign of armed conflict. Dimini is often blamed for the destruction of Sesklo but other causes might be responsible for the fire in the Neolithic settlement.
Skeletal remains
The skeletal remains from
Fortifications
Both Dimini and Sesklo had walls and
Genetic studies
A 2016
Site | Period | Sample Code | Date | Sex | mtDNA | Y-DNA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Theopetra | Mesolithic | Theo5 | 7,605–7,529 BCE | – | K1c | – |
Theopetra | Mesolithic | Theo1 | 7,288–6,771 BCE | – | K1c | – |
Revenia | Early Neolithic | Rev5 | 6,438–6,264 BCE | XX | X2b | * |
Barcın | Early Neolithic | Bar31 | 6,419–6,238 BCE | XY | X2m | G2a2b |
Barcın | Early Neolithic | Bar8 | 6,212–6,030 BCE | XX | K1a2 | * |
Paliambela | Late Neolithic | Pal7 | 4,452–4,350 BCE | XX | J1c1 | * |
Kleitos | Final Neolithic | Klei10 | 4,230–3,995 BCE | XY | K1a2 | G2a2a1b |
- ^ –, indicates no genomic data available; *, indicates not applicable.
A 2017 archaeogenetic study, titled "Genetic origins of the Minoans and Mycenaeans", analyzed 10
Gallery
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Map of the world showing approximate centers of origin of agriculture and its spread in prehistory.[26]
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A map showing the Neolithic expansions from the 7th to the 5th millennium BCE, including the Cardium culture in blue.
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Neolithic pottery styles of Ancient Greece
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Neolithic expansion in Europe
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Neolithic settlement of Sesklo in central Greece, one of the most advanced settlements of its era
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Neolithic settlements of Nea Nikomedeia, close to Krya Vrysi
See also
- Neolithic Europe
- Prehistory of Southeastern Europe
- Neolithic Crete
References
Citations
- ^ Pashou, Drineas & Yannaki 2014, p. 5: "The earliest Neolithic sites with developed agricultural economies in Europe dated 8500–9000 BPE are found in Greece. The general features of material culture of the Greek Neolithic and the genetic features of the preserved crops and associated weeds of the earliest Greek Neolithic sites point to Near Eastern origins. How these Near Eastern migrants reached Greece is a matter of speculation. [...] Our data support the Anatolian rather than the Levantine route because they consistently show the Aegean islands to be connected to the Near East through Anatolia. Archaeological evidence from Greek and Near Eastern and Anatolian Neolithic sites suggests that multiple waves of Neolithic migrants reached Greece and Southern Europe. Most likely multiple routes were used in these migrations but, as our data show, the maritime route and island hopping was prominent."
- ^ a b c d "Neolithic Period in Greece: Pre-Ceramic Neolithic". Athens: Foundation of the Hellenic World. 1999–2000.
- ^ a b c d "Neolithic Period in Greece: Early Neolithic". Athens: Foundation of the Hellenic World. 1999–2000.
- ^ a b c d e "Neolithic Period in Greece: Middle Neolithic". Athens: Foundation of the Hellenic World. 1999–2000.
- ^ a b c d e f "Neolithic Period in Greece: Late Neolithic I". Athens: Foundation of the Hellenic World. 1999–2000.
- ^ a b "Neolithic Period in Greece: Late Neolithic II". Athens: Foundation of the Hellenic World. 1999–2000.
- ^ a b "Neolithic Period in Greece: Final Neolithic or Chalcolithic". Athens: Foundation of the Hellenic World. 1999–2000.
- ^ Milisauskas 2011, p. 182.
- ^ Runnels & Murray 2001, p. 146: "Theocharis believed that the entire area from there to the upper acropolis of the site was filled with habitations and that Sesklo was a town of perhaps 5,000 people, rather than a village. Other archaeologists working at the site have reduced the population estimate to between 1,000 and 2,000, but either way, Sesklo was a settlement of impressive size in its day."
- ^ "Ministry of Culture and Sports | Archaeological site of Poliochni at Kaminia area". odysseus.culture.gr. Retrieved 2019-01-12.
- ISBN 978-1-108-06101-8.
- ^ Bleda S., During (2011). The prehistory of Asia Minor. Cambridge University Press. p. 126.
- ^ Abulafia, David (2011). The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean. United Kingdom: Allen Lane. pp. 136–137, 161.
- S2CID 97361081.
- ^ Pullen 2008, p. 20; van Andel & Runnels 1988, "The transition to the Early Bronze Age", pp. 238–240; French 1973, p. 53.
- ^ Sampsom, Adamadios (2003). Η Νεολιθική Περίοδος Στα Δωδεκάνησα. Athens: Έκδοση του Ταμείου Αρχαιολογικών Πορων και Απαλλοτρίωσεων .
- ^ Rutter, Dr. Jeremy (4 January 2017). "The Eutresis and Korakou cultures of early Helladic I-II". Retrieved 2023-12-10.
- ISBN 9789602504802.
- ^ "The 'Neolithic Treasure'". National Museum of Archaeology, Athens.
- ^ "The 'Neolithic Treasure'". National Museum of Archaeology, Athens.
- ISSN 1099-1212.
- ^ )
- ^ Health, Julian (2017). "Warfare in Neolithic Europe". United Kingdom: Pen and Sword Books.
- ^ PMID 27274049.
- PMID 28783727.
- ^ Diamond & Bellwood 2003, pp. 597–603. The world map depicts agricultural centers in the Fertile Crescent (11,000 BP), the Yangtze and Yellow River basins (9,000 BP) and the New Guinea Highlands (9,000–6,000 BP), Central Mexico (5,000–4,000 BP), Northern South America (5,000–4,000 BP), sub-Saharan Africa (5,000–4,000 BP, exact location unknown), and eastern North America (4,000–3,000 BP).
Sources
- Atkinson, Quentin D.; Gray, Russel D. (2006). "Chapter 8: How Old is the Indo-European Language Family? Illumination or More Moths to the Flame?". In Forster, Peter; Renfrew, Colin (eds.). Phylogenetic Methods and the Prehistory of Languages. Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. pp. 91–109. ISBN 978-1-902937-33-5.
- Diamond, Jared; Bellwood, Peter (2003). "Farmers and Their Languages: The First Expansions". Science. 300 (5619): 597–603. S2CID 13350469.
- French, D.M. (1973). "Migrations and 'Minyan' pottery in western Anatolia and the Aegean". In Crossland, R.A.; Birchall, Ann (eds.). Bronze Age Migrations in the Aegean. Park Ridge, NJ: Noyes Press.
- Gray, Russel D.; Atkinson, Quentin D. (2003). "Language-tree Divergence Times Support the Anatolian Theory of Indo-European Origin". Nature. 426 (6965): 435–439. S2CID 42340.
- Milisauskas, Sarunas (2011). "Chapter 7: Early Neolithic, the First Farmers in Europe, 7000–5500/5000 BC". In Milisauskas, Sarunas (ed.). European Prehistory: A Survey (2nd ed.). New York: Springer Science and Business Media, LLC. pp. 153–222. ISBN 978-1-44-196633-9.
- Runnels, Curtis Neil; Murray, Priscilla (2001). Greece Before History: An Archaeological Companion and Guide. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-80-474050-0.
- Owens, Gareth Alun (2007). "Η Δομή της Μινωικής Γλώσσας ["The Structure of the Minoan Language"]" (PDF) (in Greek). Heraklion: TEI of Crete –Daidalika. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
- Pashou, Peristera; Drineas, Petros; Yannaki, Evangelia (2014). "Maritime Route of Colonization of Europe". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 111 (25): 9211–9216. PMID 24927591.
- Pullen, Daniel (2008). "The Early Bronze Age in Greece". In ISBN 978-0-521-81444-7.
- van Andel, Tjeerd H.; Runnels, Curtis N. (June 1988). "An essay on the 'emergence of civilization' in the Aegean world". Antiquity. 62 (235): 234–247. S2CID 163438965. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
External links
Media related to Neolithic in Greece at Wikimedia Commons