Greek History Essay -- Greece Historic Historical Essays

Greek History Works Cited Missing Relatively little is known about the nature of life in Greece during the Neolithic and Early Helladic periods. Since there are no written records from these periods in Greek history, it is only possible to learn about the cultures that existed during this time by studying the remains of their settlements. The sites of Sesklo, Dimini, and Lerna are all good examples of the types of settlements that existed on mainland Greece from the Middle Neolithic period to the Early Helladic. Although they don’t give us a complete picture, these sites help us understand what life was like on the Greek mainland before the arrival of the people that are known today as the Greeks. During the Neolithic period the most advanced area of Greece was Thessaly. This area in northern Greece was the place where both Sesklo and Dimini were established. During the Helladic period the area of greatest advancement shifted to the south. This period is best represented by Lerna. Sesklo was first occupied in the Early Neolithic period but didn’t reach its peak until the Middle Neolithic. It was built on a low mound that had an area of about 100m by 45m. A large, two-room megaron which opened on to a paved courtyard was built at the center of the mound (www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/siteindex?entry=sesklo). Near the megaron were various other smaller buildings packed closely together. One building stands out from the others, because it appears to have served a special purpose. That building is the two room building now identified as a potter’s workshop. The inhabitants of Sesklo surrounded the whole area on top of the mound with what appears to have been a single one meter thick wall. It’s uncertain whether thi... ...peaks in the development of the Greek mainland from the Neolithic to Helladic period. Each settlement represents a fairly significant advancement over its predecessor and shows how Greek settlements progressed over the years. These settlements also provide many clues about the nature of mainland Greek culture during this period of time. Even though we have no written records, by examining the architecture and artifacts of these cultures we are able to determine how their communities were organized. We are also able to determine the nature of their relationships with other settlements by examining their fortification systems. Although many things about early civilizations in Greece remain a mystery, we have learned much from these sites and continue to study them in hopes of gaining a more complete picture of what life was like for the early inhabitants of Greece.