Would ancient Greeks have been more, or less, Near Eastern genetically and physically than today?

[Smeagol]

Lol, I voted for wrong option.

[Sikeliot]

To those of you who picked the second option when do you propose Greeks acquired this Near Eastern element that was not there in ancient times? The only explanation to me is the population exchange with Turkey.

[Hadouken]

i just learned that ancient greeks were black lol

[Vesuvian Sky]

I find this tough to pin down to be honest. Here are depictions though of the earliest Greeks, the Myceneans:





from the palace of Nestor fighting the 'Savage Men'



These depictions I find in stark contrast to how some of the main characters in the Iliad are described who had lighter features. In relation to Pontic-Caspian IE dispersal theory, Greek separates from PIE roughly around (c. 2800-2200 BC) or after (c. 2000 BC) the Catacomb culture which is rather late considering that Mycenean Greeks emerge c. 1600 BC. It would seem based on their contemporary depictions of themselves that on the whole they lost 'Kurganid' traits quickly if that be the case.

[Sikeliot]

But also based on those images, modern Greeks are a lot lighter than that, so I don't know.

[Smeagol]

To be honest I think they looked basically the same. I was basing my opinion on how the gods, and heroes were described in the Iliad.

[Kastrioti1443]

Those mycenians look really MENA.

[Sikeliot]

Those mycenians look really MENA.

They are clearly darker than today's Greeks.

[Kastrioti1443]

They are clearly darker than today's Greeks.

A lot, but it is art, do not forget that.

[Benacer]

Beauty ideal in the eastern Mediterranean was of dark men and light women. Take Minoan art as an example:



This is a general problem in historical depictions like that. You never know if they are realistic, abstract, symbolic, etc.