A forgotten European civilization

[d3cimat3d]

The mainstream academic view holds that writing first appeared during the Sumerian civilization in southern Mesopotamia, around 3300-3200 B.C. in the form of the Cuneiform script. This first writing system did not suddenly appear out of nowhere, but gradually developed from less stylized pictographic systems that used ideographic and mnemonic symbols that contained meaning, but did not have the linguistic flexibility of the natural language writing system that the Sumerians first conceived. These earlier symbolic systems have been labeled as Proto-writing, examples of which have been discovered in a variety of places around the world, some dating back to the 7th Milennium B.C.

One such early example of a proto-writing system is the Vinča script, which is a set of symbols depicted on clay artifacts associated with the Vinča culture, which flourished along the Danube River in the Pannonian Plain, between 6000-4000 B.C.

Source

The first major population boom in Europe was the product of the Vinca & Cucuteni-Tryptillian cultures.

The Vinca & Cucuteni-Tryptillian cultures are the first civilizations to flourish in Europe & to build the cities with 15,000+ inhabitants. Major cities began in modern day Moldova & Ukraine even before Mesopotamian cities ever started.

*Talianki, Ukraine – circa 3700 B.C. – up to 15,000 inhabitants, up to 2,700 houses, and covered an area of 450 hectares (1100 acres). Talianki is the largest and best studied Trypillian settlement in Ukraine.

*Dobrovody, Ukraine – circa 3800 B.C. – up to 10,000 inhabitants, and covered an area of 250 hectares (600 acres).

*Maydanets, Ukraine – circa 3700 B.C. – up to 10,000 inhabitants (probably between 6000 to 9000 inhabitants), up to 1575 houses, and covered an area of 270 hectares (660 acres).

*Nebelivka, Ukraine - covered an area of 300 hectares (740 acres).

Source

My thoughts on the subject are that both the Cucuteni-Tryptillain culture and the Vinca dissapeared because of a bad location on the steppes. Various bandits to the east of the Dnepr caused the decline of these civilizations in events which were similar to the declne of central American civilizations like the Maya & Olmec. Eventually the two cultures of the Balkans abandoned their settled ways and became nomadic, thats how the swastika, a important symbol of the Vinca writing system eventually got all the way into northern India.



The Cucuteni-Tryptillian culture even invented the weel, of which both Mesopotamians & steppe bandits stole from them and claimed it as their own invention.



So the first cities, first writing, first wheels can all be credited to south-east Europe & not Mesopotamia like once was thought.

[Albion]

Wow, very interesting. I didn't know about this.

[Wulfhere]

The Megalithic Civilisation of the British Isles and Western Europe is even older.

[Osweo]

The Megalithic Civilisation of the British Isles and Western Europe is even older.

Hmm, except that it isn't. Scroll up the page and check a few dates.


(Civilisation is a bit of a weird word to use for Vinc'a, though... Applying it to Cucuteni-Tripolye isn't without complications, either... )

[Radojica]

My thoughts on the subject are that both the Cucuteni-Tryptillain culture and the Vinca dissapeared because of a bad location on the steppes. Various bandits to the east of the Dnepr caused the decline of these civilizations in events which were similar to the declne of central American civilizations like the Maya & Olmec. Eventually the two cultures of the Balkans abandoned their settled ways and became nomadic, thats how the swastika, a important symbol of the Vinca writing system eventually got all the way into northern India.

I am not sure about Tryptillian culture, but Vince culture was settled alond Danube bank, very good located with planty of food and fresh water sources all the way from today's Belgrade southern part to the Djerdap cannon (Romanian border). Knowing that, they were naturally protected from one side which was easy to protect from invaders. The reasons for their abandoning of those locations are not known as far as I know, but migrations might be one of them, as you stated. I know for foundings near Vinca, Starcevo and Lepenski vir, all of them along Danube river, and if I google a bit more I am sure there's even more of them, but I am now too lazy for that.

[d3cimat3d]

I am not sure about Tryptillian culture, but Vince culture was settled alond Danube bank,

Vinca, Tryptillian & Hamangia cultures are all intertwined with each other and in my opinion, it would be better to unite them into one culture because all three share a common element... They would purposely burn their houses down for some reason that is still unknown.

The archeological evidence shows that a vast majority (perhaps even all) of the Cucuteni-Trypillian settlements were completely burned every 75–80 years, leaving behind successive layers comprised mostly of large amounts of rubble from the collapsed wattle-and-daub walls.

Although there have been some attempts to try to replicate the results of these ancient settlement burnings, no modern experiment has yet managed to successfully reproduce the conditions that would leave behind the type of evidence that is found in these burned Neolithic sites, had the structures burned under normal conditions.

Whether the houses were set on fire in a ritualistic way all together before abandoning the settlement, or each house was destroyed at the end of its life (e.g. before building a new one) it is still a matter of debate.

All three of these cultures are associated with the introduction of farming into Europe, which eventually replaced hunting since farming is much more efficient and can sustain huge populations like the towns of the Tryptillians.

I know for foundings near Vinca, Starcevo and Lepenski vir, all of them along Danube river, and if I google a bit more I am sure there's even more of them, but I am now too lazy for that.

Here are some Starcevo figures found in southern Serbia & Kosova.

[Osweo]

The cultures are distantly related, but quite distinct. I studied all this donkey's years ago, and have forgotten most beyond the general impressions, but I can at least say that reputable scholars have supposed that Cucuteni was inhabited by IEans of some variety, possibly even of the linguistic ancestors of Greeks and Slavs, and that VInca was probably non-IE, or a 'cousin' like Etrusco-Lemnian or the like....

Some shared cultural practices like house burning might be as irrelevant as what car modern Europeans drive, indeed.

[d3cimat3d]

scholars have supposed that Cucuteni was inhabited by IEans of some variety, possibly even of the linguistic ancestors of Greeks and Slavs, and that VInca was probably non-IE, or a 'cousin' like Etrusco-Lemnian or the like....

Tryptillians started building hill forts prior to their end, something which they never did in their early history. Marijas Gimbutas has credited Tryptillia's decline to mounted Indo-Europeans from the east. So sure, I'm not doubting Trypillians became Indo-Europeanized at some point.

Some shared cultural practices like house burning might be as irrelevant as what car modern Europeans drive, indeed.

It's not even comparable to the cars Europeans drive. Intentionally burning down your house is not something you just do one morning. This is a rare practice and is a good marker of this/these culture(s).

[Radojica]

Vinca, Tryptillian & Hamangia cultures are all intertwined with each other and in my opinion, it would be better to unite them into one culture because all three share a common element... They would purposely burn their houses down for some reason that is still unknown.









Here are some Starcevo figures found in southern Serbia & Kosova.

Firstly, what is Kosova? Is that something you are applying on bread for the breakfast, or ? Ahh, you probably meant Kosovo and Metohija, right ?

Secondly, Starcevo culture was not on Kosovo and Metohija, but in Northern parts of Serbia, Eastern parts of Romania, Croatia and SOuthern parts of Hungary which also has the name Starcevo-Keresh-Krish culture, which was named by the location of the biggest founding near the village Starcevo in Pancevo municipality, you mixed it with Vinca culture, just like the figure from your last picture (Lady of Vinca) which was found in Belo Brdo, 14 kilometers down the Danube from Belgrade.

[d3cimat3d]

Firstly, what is Kosova? Is that something you are applying on bread for the breakfast, or ? Ahh, you probably meant Kosovo and Metohija, right ?

Kosovo je Srpsko

Secondly, Starcevo culture was not on Kosovo and Metohija, but in Northern parts of Serbia, Eastern parts of Romania, Croatia and SOuthern parts of Hungary

Starcevo, Vinca, Cucuteni-Tryptillia... Different names, same shit. All were Middle-Eastern farmers