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The First Traces of Man in European History
The earliest evidence of human presence (of the Homo erectus species) in Europe dates back to 500,000 – 10,000 years ago. Fossil remains from this period have been found as far west as England. These early descendants of Homo erectus are significantly different from what we recognize as humans today. Their brain size and body structure are classified as an early form of humans, known as Neanderthal man. They are considered a precursor to Homo sapiens. This species inhabited what we now know as Europe for thousands of years, leaving behind only a few traces of themselves, such as stone tools and fossils.
The First Signs of Culture
Modern humans, who closely resemble people today, arrived in Europe relatively late. However, the continent offers ample evidence of early human culture. A Neanderthal flute is possibly the oldest known cultural artifact. Small carvings and cave paintings are among the most prominent forms of prehistoric art found in Europe. Eastern Europe contains traces of the earliest known freestanding structures, including circular huts with tusks or stones supporting a type of superstructure.
Neolithic Revolution
The Neolithic Revolution marked the first time people learned to cultivate crops and domesticate animals. This was the most significant development in human history. It occurred during the Stone Age when tools were still made of flint, not metal. The Neolithic Revolution is the event that distinguishes the Old Stone Age (Palaeolithic) from the New Stone Age (Neolithic), hence the name. Interestingly, this revolution took place at different times in various parts of the world.
The Dawn of Civilization
The Neolithic Revolution led to the establishment of villages and cities.
Starting in the Middle East, the revolution reached Greece around 7000 BC (9,000 years ago). It took about 3,000 more years to spread to the Atlantic coast and Britain.
The emergence of villages and cities gradually displaced the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. This may be the reason for the slow progression of the revolution. The way of life of hunter-gatherers was dramatically transformed as agriculture required labor, especially when they had to clear heavily forested areas with stone tools to make space for crops.
Community
European Neolithic communities typically featured a communal longhouse as the central structure. These were often built from wood, as were their homes. One longhouse discovered in Bochum, Germany, measured 65 meters in length. Along the Atlantic coast, the focal point of village life was a communal tomb. Simple huts surrounded the central structure. These tomb chambers introduced the tradition of stonework, passage graves, and megaliths.
In a passage grave, a stone corridor leads to a tomb chamber. Initially constructed from wood and later from stone, the chamber housed the community’s deceased members. A megalith (Greek for “large stone”) was used for passage graves and later as standalone stones, often arranged in circles for reasons that remain unknown.
It is perhaps due to these ancient traditions that European culture is so rich today. People were able to pass down old customs and various traditional forms of art, ceremonies, dance, and more.
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