Sept 12th Class
Introduction
Hello everyone, happy Friday!
Today we're learning about when the first Greek-speaking people arrived in Greece.
It's important to know that people lived in Greece for a very long time before these Greek speakers, all the way back to the Stone Age and throughout the Bronze Age.
Background on Inhabitants of Greece
The land was lived in for many years before the Greek speakers showed up.
We'll look back at how we dated these times in our last class.
The Peloponnese
What is it? The Peloponnese is a rough, finger-shaped piece of land at the very bottom of the main Greek landmass.
It's important to know this area for what we're going to study next.
Archaeological Finds
People found an old palace in the Peloponnese that was violently burned down around BC.
Idea: This palace might have been built by a local leader or important family and later burned by Greek attackers.
What this means: This destruction suggests a fight between the Greek speakers and the people who lived there first. A chief or priestess might have led the defense.
We don't have all the details, so the exact story of the fight isn't clear.
What the House of the Tiles tells us
The burning of the House of the Tiles helps us mark the time when the Greeks likely invaded.
For more information, look at Pomeroy's book, pages .
Naming the Original Non-Greek Inhabitants
We need to talk about what to call the people who lived in Greece before the Greeks. Some options:
Non-Greeks or native non-Greeks.
Natives — but be careful using this word from the past.
Aboriginal inhabitants — this is an okay term.
Pelasgians — this is what ancient Greek writers called the people who lived there before the Greeks.
Short Look at Old Discoveries
We don't have a lot of old evidence about when Greek speakers arrived:
The burning of the House of the Tiles (around BC) is a key event.
Finding horse skeletons in layers of dirt from after BC shows that the invading Greeks brought horses, which was an advantage over the local people.
Cultural Changes After the Invasion
New types of pottery appeared around BC (greyware), probably brought by the new Greek arrivals.
New ways of burying the dead, especially shaft graves starting around BC, which signal the beginning of the Mycenaean civilization.
Mycenaean Civilization
Mycenae:
Where it was: In the top right part of the Peloponnese, on a hill overlooking the fertile Plain of Argos.
Why it was good: It controlled paths on land and the plain, and it was harder to attack by sea.
When it was important: The Mycenaean civilization (around to BC).
How it started: Non-Greek settlers lived there first.
Why it matters for history: Its rise marked the start of the first Greek civilization; so, Mycenae became a key name for early Greek history.
Meaning of the Name: The name Mycenae probably comes from the old Pelasgian language.
Local Names from Aboriginal Influence
We'll talk about how earlier non-Greek languages affected Greek place names today, like Argos (meaning seaside plain), Corinth (possibly Palace of Co), and Tiryns.
A special language feature: words with a double 's' in modern Greek often show they didn't come from Greek originally.
How Greeks Moved Around
Understanding where Greek speakers came from and how they moved, based on Pomeroy's work (pages ).
Introducing William Jones and why his findings about language links were important, connecting Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit as part of the Indo-European language family.
The Indo-European Language Family
This family describes a big language link between many languages across Europe and Asia.
The original Proto-Indo-European language is thought to have started around BC, probably in Southern Russia.
It's important to study languages by comparing them to understand old migrations and how cultures blended before written history.
Modern Languages from the Indo-European Family
Examples of some languages that came from this family:
Romance Languages (like Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French).
Other current languages: Hindi, Urdu, Farsi, Polish, and so on.
Important to note that some languages are not Indo-European, such as certain Asian and European languages (like Finnish, Hungarian, Basque).
What We Learned About Migrations and Culture Mixing
We discussed how Indo-European speakers and the local people mixed together.
Ideas about new technologies brought by the invaders:
They learned farming methods and cooking styles from the original inhabitants (for example, growing olives and figs).
The new arrivals might not have had advanced building skills, as shown by building terms that are not Greek.
How Cultures Blended Completely
The first Greek invaders likely kept their language and culture but also took on parts of the local population's culture, leading to a Greek culture that combined features from both groups.
Q&A Summary
Main student questions about the Indo-European invasions and where languages came from.
We confirmed that cultures exchanged ideas during this mixing process, similar to modern examples (like Nordic influences in Normandy).
It's important to recognize both the strong and local influences in forming Greek civilization.
A note on William Jones's important work in understanding the connections between Indo-European languages and how language study helps us understand history.