Archaeological Evidence for Neolithic Farmer Spread

Image shows the spread of farming as determined by archaeology from Mesopotamia and Levant through Anatolia and into Europe. These farmers started to migrate starting around 9600 BCE and reached Britain by 4100 BCE. Akkadian is the native language of northern Mesopotamia so that language traveled with the farmers. Map from Gronenborn, D., & Horejs, B. (2023). Online at: https://www.academia.edu/9424525/Map_Expansion_of_farming_in_western_Eurasia_9600_4000_cal_BC_update_vers_2023_1_?email_work_card=title

Detailed Spread of Indo-European People Traced With Material Tradition Lineages

(September 2, 2024) The original extent of the Eurasian steppe. Notice the lands along the Danube rivers where the merger of Indo-European culture with Druid culture's Corded-Ware material tradition (3000 BC – 2350 BCE) would have taken place. (image from Encyclopedia Britannica at: https://www.britannica.com/place/the-Steppe

Indo-European Homeland In 3350 BCE

(October 31, 2023) This material culture existed for about 400 years before it started to expand.

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNv3R1xS6so&t=46s

Start of Rapid Expansion 3000 BCE

(October 31, 2023) The Indo-Europeans moved first into the Balkans and then followed the rivers northward.

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNv3R1xS6so&t=46s

Indo-European People In 2500 BCE

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNv3R1xS6so&t=46s

Indo-European People In 2300 BCE

(October 31, 2023) At this time they were expanding into western Europe.

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNv3R1xS6so&t=46s

Indo-European People In 2000 BCE

(October 31, 2023) Italy was now settled by Indo-Europeans. The big mystery is why the Estruscans continued to speak Akkadian while the future Romans started speaking a mixture of Akkadian and Indo-European known at Latin. The future lands of Greece were only now conquered being one of the last European mainland holdouts. This was when the Minoans started writing for temple and trade purposes.

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNv3R1xS6so&t=46s

Indo-European People In 1000 BCE

(October 31, 2023) Only the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Israelites remained unconquered.

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNv3R1xS6so&t=46s

Animation of Indo-European Genetic Spread

(October 31, 2023) An excellent video by The Geographer. While being more warlike and having a godfather/war-chief type of culture, Indo-European genetic spread was mostly from having better farming methods then the slash and burn methods used by the Akkadian speaking Neolithic farmers outside of annual flooding river valleys. The Indo-Europeans simply came in and took over abandoned fields left by the Akkadian speakers and made it a permanent farm with crop rotation and manuring. When Akkadian speaker farms lost their fertility no more good vacant land was available to turn into a farm.