The European Barbarians

Map of Greece
Source: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/gr.htm

Barbarian: way of life people used to live by that was based on farming, warfare, and tribal organization that developed around 2500 B.C throughout Europe

Megaliths: very large stones cut to make monuments and or tombs

Tribe: social/ political unit containing a group with similar interests, traditions, and real or mythical ties of kinship

Indo-European: a group of nomads that most likely came from the steppes

Western: Greece was the first western civilization to connect with other civilizations 

               More than 3,000 years ago life spread southwest from Egypt. With this move, life changed with advancements such as tools, family, and village life. By 3500 B.C people started settling in Europe; this settlement had an increase in wealth along with population that allowed them to make huge monuments called megaliths. A well-known megalith is the Stonehenge, built in the western part of England around 2000 B.C. Not all of their lives were focused on megaliths; in fact the main business of life was farming and would create villages that contained many related families called tribes. This way of life was barbaric; the first European Barbarians to succeed to make contact with civilization were the Greeks.  This contact stretched from mainland Greece, to the Aegean Sea, to the west coast of Asia Minor. The Aegean region farming wealth came from grain, vineyards, and olive groves; not only were they rich in farming but also in metals and wood to build ships. A civilization known as Minoan formed from the island of Crete founded on trade and the seas that established their wealth. With a large role for women society was a large into games such as bullfights but with wealth comes destruction. The Minoans were destroyed around 1400 B.C While the Minoans were forming the European Barbarians were moving into Greece and by 1600 B.C Greek chieftains formed a settlement called the Mycenaean civilization. They proceeded with the barbaric life style but did gain features from the Minoan culture. 200 years after the fall of the Minoans the Mycenaean civilization failed. About 600 years later the Greek civilization recovered and was taught by the cultures of Egypt and Mesopotamia while still being itself.