A civilisation that birthed democracy ANCIENT GREECE

It would probably not be wrong to say that the history of ancient Greece is as old as time. During the late Paleolithic era the region was already settled and agriculture was being done. The evidence recovered at Petralona and Franchthi Caves, two of the oldest human habitations in the world, prove this beyond doubt.

During the late Neolithic era and early Chalcolithic era (6000 - 2900 BC) there were permanent settlements, agriculture and domestication of animals in the northern part of Greece and Macedonia. People lived in one-room stone houses with roof of timber and clay daubing.

During the Chalcolithic era there arose a number of civilizations across Greece. The Cycladic Civilization (3200 - 1100 BC) which flourished in the islands of the Aegean Sea provides evidence of continual human habitation in that region. There were houses and temples built of stone and people depended on fishing and trading, apart from agriculture, for their living. The civilization gradually merged with the Minoan Civilization (2700-1500 BCE) that grew up on the island of Crete and soon became a dominant power in the region. The Minoans were very powerful and developed many things like shipbuilding, construction, ceramics, arts, sciences, and warfare. They established a navy with which the kings colonized and conquered the Cyclades. They also developed ‘Linear A’, a writing system which is yet to be deciphered.

Fall of the Minoans is believed to have come from a combination of various factors. There was land overuse, resulting in deforestation, which made the climate unfavourable to human habitation. Then there was a volcanic eruption in the nearby island of Santorini, then called the Thera, (between 1650 and 1550 BC) and a resulting tsunami. Together these brought much destruction to the islands. And finally, it was conquered by the Mycenaeans.