Neolithic Europe

The Neolithic period In Europe occurred roughly between 5,000 - 10,000 years ago. Spreading variably through time from the fertile crescent up into Greece and the Caucasus through Italy and Germany and eventually finding its way into Ireland. Where the first Neolithic communities are founded around 5000 B.C.

The Neolithic Period in human history can be determined by the presence of stone tools in particular axes and continues until the time of the first bronze instruments. Development of domesticated plants and animals as well as the introduction of pottery also mark the presence of Neolithic culture. The Neolithic period in Europe lasted between 3000-4000 years depending on region.

The process of the Neolithic revolution in Ireland specifically follows the pattern of pre-agricultural forest followed by land clearance. Signs of land clearance by Early Neolithic Irish can found in the rise in grass pollens, and decreasing elm. The agricultural phase is noted for the increase in different grass species as well as a decrease in tree pollen. After this period however there is a return of forests for nearly 400 years. The onset of agriculture then took over in 2500 B.C.

Agriculture is one of the major achievements of Neolithic culture. There is evidence for extensive field wall systems in some places. Plants domesticated and carried into Europe from southeast Asia include; einkorn, emmer, barley, and lentils. Another crop brought with people from east Asia was broomcorn millet.

During the Neolithic phase of cultural development people began to domesticate animals. “He was a huntsman turned herdsman of the herds he once hunted.” - H.G. Wells. Neolithic herdsman herded pigs, goat, sheep, and cattle. In some places these were kept in pens and other enclosures.

Pottery was another sign of Neolithic technology and culture. Although the potters wheel had not yet been invented, Neolithic pottery was made by hand and therefore regional pottery types or useful in distinguishing between Neolithic European cultures. At least 5 different cultures can be identified by the type of pottery they created. These include; Western Linear, Eastern Linear, Comb Ceramic, Printed Cardium, La Almagra.

Most Neolithic European settlements were small family based communities however in some parts of southeastern Europe there were large fortified cities of between 3000 to 4000 people. In England groups of 50-100 moved about with a herd of domesticated cattle.

Many proto-Europeans came to Europe through what is now Greece. Two groups arriving from Greece included the people of the black and grey pottery as well as The Thessalio and Danubian branch of immigrants. Italy seems to have been migrated to from the sea around it by the Mediterranean branch of proto-Europeans. Others also arrived via the straights of Gibraltar and what is now Ukraine.

Marija Gumbutas was a Lithuanian-American archeologist who studied Neolithic Europe and came up with what is called the “Kurgan Hypothesis” as well as coining the term “old Europe” to distinguish between the indo-European cultures and the pre-indo-European cultures that existed in Europe before the massive movements of people that occurred around 5000 B.C.
The Kurgan hypothesis basically states that groups of warlike, nomadic, patrilineal cultures came to Europe in the 4th century B.C. Whereas Pre-indo-Europeans had been peaceful Matrilineal and had a goddess centered religion. Some old European cultures included the Pelasgians, Minoans, Lelegas, Iberians, and the Basque. However cultures such as the people of the Black and Grey pottery were invaders from the other side of the Hellespont.

Gumbutas arrives at her conclusions using a wide variety of resources from linguistics and archeology to mythology and folklore. Gimbutas believed that there may have been a single pre-indo-European language based on the similarity of symbols found on Neolithic pottery from old Europe cultures as well as linguistic elements noticed among the different surviving old Europe cultures such as names and root words that seem to have a common ancestor language.

Surprisingly the boundaries around Neolithic cultures seems to be left mostly intact. The hearts of Germany, France, Italy and Spain are all in the same location and have only peripheral changes to the cultures borders. Even down into the Balkans and Greece cultural boundaries have not changed significantly well into the 21st century C.E. from the 4th century B.C.