beorna

Our discussions about the Byzantine empire had brought me to open a thread about the Early Greek History. Unfortunately we know nearly nothing about it. We have for long times no written sources and archaeology can show different or similar artefacts, but these artefacts say nothing about the Greekness or not Greekness of the early people.

The first great problem we have, are the Pelasgian native population. We know nothing about them. we even don't know if these Pelasgians lived there since the beginning of the Neolithicum in the 7th millenium. Since the hypothesis of Renfrew, about a indo-european origin of the neolithic cultures in Middle and Southeast-Europe, it is even possible, that these pelasgians were an very early group of Indo-europeans, but when those indo-europeans came, who migrated at 2300/2000 to Greece, there was surely nothing common between these Pelasgians and the new indo-european groups that were called early greeks.

Another possibility is, that those Pelsgians have an aegaian-anatolian background and perhaps are linguistically related with e.g the Etruscans or at least are an autochthon population.

If we look into history books, than we can usually read, that the Ionoi were the first wave of greeks that migrated to Greece around 2000 BC. They were followed by Aioloi and Achaioi around 1600 BC. The last Greek group were the Dorioi around 1200 BC. But these migration laid in the dark and at least with the translation of Linear B, it was possible to claim the Mykenian culture of Greek origin. But it was a quite archaic Greek, e.g. stathmos was written tatomo, kouros was kowo/korwos, demos - damo, bous - quo, amphypolos -apiqoro .....

The later kypric-arkadic dialect is closer to this older Linear B- mykenic, than the other Greek dialects, but usually we can say, that this Mykenic is very close to indo-european base. The greek dialects of Ionian, Ailoian and Dorian appeared later. So to call it Mycaean Greek is not completely wrong, to call it e.g. just mycenic would be justified as well.

But what do we know about those early Greeks?
In Lerna/argolis e.g. we have a layer of destruction accompanied by a cultural change. This was at the end of early helladic II, but in generell we have neither greater layers of destruction at the end of early helladic II (2300/2000) nor from early to middle bronze (2000/1900) or at the beginning of mycenian culture. So an invasion of Greeks into greece is quite impossible. We'd to expect a migration of smaller groups by several independent waves over a period of some hundred years.

When the Mycenic culture evolved at 1750 it was very soon a palace cultur, greater fortified castles ruling the surrounding. In the beginning these culture was influenced by the Minoan culture, but made herself independent with the time. The main regions of these culture were messenia, argolis, attika and boiotia with the palaces in Pylos, Eleusis, orchomenon, mykene, tiryns and others. That we know just at least a bit, is a result of the Linear B scripture, that was introduced by Minoan influence in the 15th century, perhaps especially after Crete was conquered by people from the Mycenic culture in the beginning of the 14th century.

From these Linear B we got some information about the ranks. First of all we have the wanaka/wanax, which meant ruler, we had the rawaketa/lawagetos - the leader of the military, we had eqetas-hepetas - the riding subjects, we had under the wanax the qasireu/basileus, perhaps like a grave or steward and we had doero/doulos the dependants. all together build the damo, the rural community.

From Linear B sources we know as well, that these communities lived besides the trade from piracy. We know about campaigns to rob women from the little asian shore. here the mycenic culture got a bridge-head ni the middle of the 15th century in the town of Millawanda/Milet. During the 14th and 13th century we can find some mycenic outposts on Crete and in syria.

Beside the deciphering of Linear B, those of Hethitian and the egyptian Hieroglyphs was important for the Greek history too. here, in the Hethite empire we hear about a reign of Ahhijawa. This was discussed very hot in science, but today it is quite sure, that this Ahhijawa is identical with at least parts of greece. We shouldn't expect a greater empire here, but a cultural koine.

Inside the Mycenic culture we can find several important places. One e.g. is Pylos, which became the ruling place in messenia during the 13th century, we had Mykene, which dominated the Argolis since the 16th century or Tiryns which became important since the 14th century. Another place in argolis was Midea which became important in the 13th century. In Boiotia we had Theben and Orchomenos, in Attika Athens since the 13th century.

At the end of Late helladic III B (around 1200) we have great layers of destruction and the end of these palace culture. This was former linked with the Dorian invasion. This is no longer accepted, especially because tectonic reasons were responsible for some destructions as well. Besides the end of some palaces we have an expansion of walls and defense measures. so we can link at least some of these destructions with the sea-people migration, which influenced Crete, cyprus, syria, the hethitians and even egypt as well. we have as well rugged handmade ceramik in greece, which can be linked with new groups in greece. But at 1200 the mycenian culture didn't die, the culture lived on, only the old palace system broke down. With this sytem the Mycenians lost their Linear B. The Greek alphabet was introduce around 800 from Phoenicia, by a variant from northern syria. there is no serious evidence, that Greek letters are from older Linear A or B.

The time after 1200 brought an decrease of population in Pylos after the end of the palace culture, but for Tiryns we can see an even greater settlement. It seems, that in Lakonia the population decrased as well. Generally we can say that the whole population decreased, but not in the way that was once thought. We can see especially an economic decline, even if we look to cities like Athens, that were not destroyed. With these changings we got a new socila structure, with not so restricted social layers and new elites. another reason for the decrease of population was the ionian colonisation since 1050, but as well just a partial reason.

This new times can be observed by archaeology as well. since 1200 we have the phase of submycenic ceramik and from 1050 the protogeometric ceramic phase. In these phase, especially in SH III C, we can observe a great decrese of population on peloponnes. For more than a century it was less populated, partly even depopulated. With the appearence of protogeometric ceramic in the 10th century we can again see new population growth. These population can be linked with the Dorians. But again, we can't see a great invasion, but probably small groups migrated from the balkans towards the peloponnes.

At Homer we hear of Argeioi, Danaoi and Achaioi. As far as we know didn't neither Danaoi nor Archaoi exist as terms for greeks at the times of Homer. So Homer seems to use older expressions. A name for greeks of his time he doesn't have. so perhaps since the end of the mycenic palace culture a common term was lost. At the times of Homer we just know about Aiolians, Ionians and Dorians.

The term Achaians/Achaiwia is passed on by hethitians to us as ahhijawa. I told above, that there was a long controvery about them. But today we can suppose, that the Ahhijawans can be linked with the Mycenic culture in Greece. hethitology and Archaeology are widely agree here.

We know about frictions between Ahhijawa and the hethites. We can e.g. see this in the letter of hattusili II to the king of Ahhijawa, which he adressed as "my brother", an adress that was used for the egyptian pharao as well. The name of this king is not maintained, but those of his brothr Tawagalaw, which is in Greek Eteokles. we know about an Eteokles from Greek mythology, the son of Oidipus of Theben. the letter from the 13th century deals with a Pijamarandu who committed piracy against hethitan towns and those of their allies and got refuge in Millawanda and Ahhijawa.
He even looted around Wilusa. At those days Theben was the ruling city of the Mycenc culture. we can see this at Homer, who reports theben first in his catalogue of ships and who reportes, that the Greek fleet against Troy started in Aulis, which was under Thebaian rule. The letter of hattusili didn't bring peace. Under Tuthalija IV (1240-1215) we have another letter, that shows, that mycenic traders were supporting assyria in its war against the Hethites. Tuthalija told his ally amurru to stop all trade from Assur to greece and the other way around. the title of a great king of ahhijawa was tilt in hethitian sources.
The name of the Achaians appear in Egyptian sources too. From Merenptah we got around 1200 the name Aqajwasa, which can be located in Middle greece, South thessalia and Lokris, and on the peloponnes and the Aegaean islands.

The danaoi appear in egyptian texts as Danaja/Tanaja. Greek mythology links them with egyptian history too. from amenophis III (1390-1352) we hear about Kftw and Tnjw, which is kefta/Crete and danaja/Tanaja. For crete we have also some cities. This are amnisa, bajasta, kutunaja, kunusa and rikata. we know these cities today as amnisos, phaistos,kydonia, knossos and lyktos. We wouldn't know where tanaja was, if we hadn't cities too. these are mukanu, deqajis,misane,nuplija,kutira,weleja and amukla. These towns are known today as well. It is Mykene, Theben, Messene, Nauplia, Kythera, Elis and Amyklai. these Danaoi had a long time of relations with Egypt, even under Thutmoses III we know about a gift for the pharao by a king of the danaoi. so we can now identify the Danaoi as people from the Peloponnes with its capitol Mykene in the argolis.

This brings us to the third expression, Argeioi. It has nothing to do with the town of Argos. Argos means plain, those plain, where the danaoi rule in mykene. So it seems, that it is just another term for Danaoi.

So we can say now, that the mycenic culture is the birth place of greek culture, but that at those days only the south west of greece and the aegaean islands wth crete belonged to this area. Through the times different cities were in the lead, first mykene, then Theben, but there was no unified empire but just some kind of dominion, perhaps comparable with the high kings and kings and sub-kings in medieval ireland. These dominon was powerful and on a level playing field with Hattusa, Assur and Egypt.
The sea-people storm, together with social frictions ended these era.

In the so-called Dark ages new groups of people migrated to greece and together with the mycenian population formed new ethnic units, those of the Ionians, the aiolians and the dorians. so a Ionian, archaian invasion between 2000 and 1600 is obsolete. Ionians we just have later than the 11th century, when they migrated to Little asia. This is the same with aiolians and Dorians are even a bit younger. Allthough Homer linked the greeks of his times with the Mycenic heroes, it is not a seamless continuity and the names of danaoi and Achaioi were just literally expressions. The new expression hellenes, from a thessalian region appeared after the age of Homer. perhaps we can link the name with the olympic games, that showed a kind of common feeling. so somewhere after the 8th century the hellenes evolved as people.

beorna

this throws as well a light on what we were talking in another thread, the Greekness of makedones. They were neither part of the Mykenian koine nor of those of the Hellenes for a long period.

Linschoten

Good post, thank you.

Thessalonian

The early Greek history, as depicted by archaeological findings (pottery, tools, inscriptions that look like Linear etc. begins before 6000 BC). Those people were probably Pelasgians or what historians call Proto-Greeks. We have no idea what language they spoke, but there are lots of artefacts unearthed from that period.

http://www.evanrizo.com/stoneage.htm 5500 BC
It is important to notice that there are signs / inscriptions found using an unknown writing system.
Other settlements date back to 7000 BC.

It is also important to notice that cultural artefacts on the islands, which are found in museums in Greece and abroad, date back to 3000-3500 BC showing that there is a cultural continuity, although different tribes and ethnicities might have been colonizing those places from prehistory till historical times.

Thessalonian

Official government information about ancient Greek history below. I will be honest with you, 500 BC Athens is modern history for the Greek standards.
There was much going on since 7000 BC.

In Thessaly there is jewelry and agricultural evidence since 7000 BC.
Unfortunately the sources, though official, are in Greek. http://www.thessalia.gov.gr/contents...4&category=161

Thessalonian

8 000 BC. Outset of Mesolithic
Spanned about 1,000 years. Short transit period between Palaeo-lithic and the Neolithic. A time when food comes from hunting and collecting gives way gradually to tillage and animal husbandry. Outset of the new warm period. From Frachthi cave evidence is provided, that the game now is not mammoths and reindeers, but fawns and wild goats. Bones of big fishes and obsidian from the volcanic deposits of Melos, 8th millennium BC, attest for offshore fishing and navigation. No evidence for migration.
7 000 BC. Outset of Neolithic
Spanned about 4,000 years, is subdivided in 4 periods of 1,000 years each: Proceramic, Early, Middle and Later Neolithic. The most important development in the Neolithic is not the manufacture of new kind of stone tools, but the production by man of his own food. The term Neolithic denotes a primary but effective village-farming community, which produces its food from cultivation and domesti-cated animals, in addition to game anfd fishing. Greece is in the vanguard of animal and plant domestication, because it occupies a region where both, wheat-barley and sheep-goats are at home.
Most striking feature of Neolithic in Greece, is the smooth transference from one sub-period to the next. This is very important, because foreign experts are addicted with the idea of a north or east migration toward Greece. Telling evidence from excavations and ancient authors, on the other hand, support the contrary, that the Greeks migrated, for two strong reasons: First because of over-population in Greece, for they were in the vanguard of cultivation, and second because they disposed the means for doing it, ships. For Crete we could say that being self-sufficient for long time, i.e. from the Proceramic to the end of the Later Neolithic, did no show interest in navigation. So the trade with Crete was mostly in the hands of Cycladic islanders, who were the first to learn the language of the sea.
7000 - 6000 BC. Proceramic.
In the Hellenic territory six at least Proceramic assemblages have been excavated: Argissa, Sesclo and Soufli-Magoula in Thessaly, Frachthi in Argolis, Knossos in Crete and Khirokitia in Cyprus. Among the findings are well polished stone implements for shipbuilding and harvesting. Bones are: 85% from sheep-goats, 10% from cattles and 5% from hogs. Of great significance is the fact that the remains from the cereals found in all sites, are species closer to today species than to their wild forms, which means that they were domesticated and cultivated long time ago. In Khirokitia have been unearthed 1,000 cyclic habitations of a diameter 6 to 10 m each [6500 BC], with lofts, meaning for certain a town of around 10,000 residents. And with farming attested by millstones and sickles The site challenges the debated Jericho of Palestine, as the first town ever..
6000 - 5000 BC. Early Neolithic.
Sites of this period have been excavated all over Greece. Special feature of the era is man’s full-time engagement with agriculture and animal husbandry. Direct evidence are burned down cereals and pulses, while milk, principal product of the latter, leads to the need for durable nonporous containers. Food storage, i.e. cereals and pulses, leads to skirmishes, and then to the fortification of the occupation places. War, next step of Civilization, is inaugurated as a consequence of food storage. The way farming “solved” the problem of human’s famine. Man’s experimentation in the Palaeo-lithic with clay figurines, helps now in shaping and firing primitive vessels. Craft for basket making. An industry in Frachthi for ornaments, using small drill-like implements to perforate shells. The only case where they were discovered “not only of the finished product but also of the tools that were used to make it.” [Jacobsen]. Any foreign cultural influence in Greece, is ruled out. Hellenes mariners migrate farming to Italy, Sardinia, Corsica and the Iberia. The gifts of tillage, along with the Greek gods and language.


http://www.greekprehistory.gr/prehistory.htm

Thessalonian

Thasos island is well-known for the lead-silver and gold exploitation during antiquity. The ochre exploitation is the oldest underground mining activity in Thasos, started during prehistoric time (1500-1200 BC).
http://www.archaeometry.gr/oldv/publ...bosio/52.htm#b

beorna

of course kastoria is part of the history of Greece, in the same way stonehenge is part of the english history or carnac part of the French, I would even call Petralona part of the history of greece, but the people of kastoria as well as those of Petralona weren't Greek.

Thessalonian

How could you possibly know if they were Greek or Chinese or Australians?
It's better to admit ignorance than being absolute about something we cannot possibly know. That Indo-European brainwashing, scares me... A theory which is based upon speculations has become a reality!
There is no archaeological evidence that suggests North Indians / Caucasians woke up one day and said let's go conquer Europe. It is completely false. It is as real as the Atlantis vs Greeks war, that supposedly took place in 10.000 BC. There is no proof of anything.

beorna

Nice story, but unfortunately mostly abot parts, that are too long ago. I would wish, they had more about the time we would need. But unfortunately as well, they deal with the Ionian migration at the beginning of the 2nd millenium.