5000-3200 BC Neolithic

Agriculture spread to south-east Europe and the Aegean from around 7000 BC and was an established way of life by 5000 BC. The first farmers in this region cultivated cereals like wheat and barley, and kept animals like sheep, goat, cattle and pig. They also grew a range of other crops such as lentils and peas, and kept dogs. Neolithic communities in this region lived in permanent settlements, many of which were occupied for hundreds of years.

With farming came a range of new technologies including the production of pottery, although some of the earliest Neolithic communities in Greece did not make pots. Jars and bowls were initially quite plain, but they became more ornate and many were painted with geometric designs. Tools were made of flint along with objects of obsidian (volcanic glass). Neolithic communities in this region were also connected to trading or gift exchange networks and it is likely that the widely found bracelets made of spondylus shells were moved around the region in this way.

Religion was an important part of life, with many households keeping cult objects within their living spaces. During the later Neolithic some richly painted buildings might have been dedicated to religious activities – decorated clay models of houses and cult buildings dating from this period have been found in Bulgaria.