Neolithic Greece
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, 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. 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.| Period | Approximate date |
| Pre-Pottery | 6800–6500 BC |
| Early Neolithic | 6500–5800 BC |
| Middle Neolithic | 5800–5300 BC |
| Late Neolithic I | 5300–4800 BC |
| Late Neolithic II | 4800–4500 BC |
| Final Neolithic | 4500–3200 BC |
Sites of Neolithic Greece
These are the estimated populations of hamlets, villages, and towns of Neolithic Greece over time. There are several problems with estimating the sizes of individual settlements, and the highest estimates for a given settlements, in a given period, may be several times the lowest.| Town | 7000 BC | 6000 BC | 5000 BC | 4000 BC | 3800 BC | 3700 BC |
| Nea Nikomedeia | 500–700 | |||||
| Sesklo | 1000–5000 | |||||
| Dimini | ||||||
| Athens | ||||||
| Poliochne | ||||||
| Knossos | 25 | 50 | 500–1000 | 500–1000 | ||
| Trapeza | ||||||
| Gerani | ||||||
| Lerna | ||||||
| Kefala | ||||||
| Alepotrypa cave | ||||||
| Milos | ||||||
| Servia |
Pre-Ceramic 6800–6500 BC
The Pre-Ceramic period of Neolithic Greece is characterized by the absence of baked clay pots and an economy based on farming and stock-rearing. Settlements consisted of subterranean huts partially dug into the ground with communities inhabited by 50 to 100 people in places such as Argissa Magoula, Dendra and Franchthi. The inhabitants cultivated various crops, engaged in fishing, hunting, animal husbandry, developed tools and produced jewellery from clay, seashells, bone and stone.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.
The volcanic island of Milos has been visited for the exploitation of its obsidian for the manufacture of tools and weapons, from the Mesolithic until the late Neolithic period. Natural resources from Milos were transported over vast distances all over the Aegean, mainland Greece, Western Anatolia and possibly as far as Egypt. The oldest findings of Milos obsidians outside the island occurs in the Mesolithic, at the Franchti cave in the Argolid. There is no evidence of settlements on Milos island until the Final Neolithic. The exploitation of obsidian seems to be performed by groups of different people landing intermittently on the island, for the periodic supply of stone for tools making.
Early Neolithic (EN) 6500–5800 BC
The Pre-Ceramic period of Neolithic Greece was succeeded by the Early Neolithic period 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. Hearths and ovens were constructed in open spaces between the huts and were commonly used. During the Early Neolithic period, pottery technology involving the successful firing of vases was developed and burial customs consisted of inhumation in rudimentary pits, cremation of the dead, bone collection, and cemetery interment.Middle Neolithic (MN) 5800–5300 BC
The Middle Neolithic period is characterized by new architectural developments such as houses constructed with stone foundations and the development of megaron-type dwellings. 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 with a row of posts in the center of the square room. 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. 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.Late Neolithic (LN) 5300-4500 BC
Late Neolithic I (LNI)
The Late Neolithic I period 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. During this period, new crops were cultivated such as bread wheat, rye, millet and oat. Animals such as sheep and goats were raised for their wool, which was used to weave garments. Communities were inhabited by 100–300 individuals socially organized into nuclear families and settlements consisted of large megaron-type rectangular structures with timber-post frames and stone foundations. Many settlements were surrounded by ditches 1.5–3.5 meters deep and 4–6 meters wide, which were constructed probably to defend against wild animals and to protect goods by establishing the borders of the settlements themselves.Late Neolithic II (LNII)
The Late Neolithic I period was succeeded by the Late Neolithic II period where economic and social life in existing settlements continued uninterruptedly.Final Neolithic (FN) 4500–3200 BC
The Final Neolithic period entails the transition from the Neolithic farming and stock-rearing economy to the metal-based economy of the Early Bronze Age. This transition occurred gradually when Greece's agricultural population began to import bronze and copper and used basic bronze-working techniques first developed in Asia Minor with which they had cultural contacts.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.
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.