The
people of west-central Europe (Belgium, eastern France, western
Germany and Switzerland) began to bury important and wealthy
people under large earth mounds. These earth mounds are called
tumuli (or tumulus for one). Valuable goods, jewellery and weapons
were buried with the body. Both women and men were buried this
way, and they appear to have been religious and political leaders.
The trade of Baltic amber was well developed, with routes along
the Rhine-Rhone river system to the Mediterranean coast in southern
France, and along the Elbe River, to the Danube, and then over
the Swiss passes to northern Italy. Amber, the petrified remains
of resin from ancient evergreen trees, was used as a precious
gem.
The "Sea Peoples" move into Greece and invade the
eastern Mediterranean. These were a sea faring people, part
of a great movement of Indo-European people from Asia into Europe.
One large branch had moved into Asia Minor and would develop
into the Armenian and Persian nations. The other branch would
become the Greeks, Italians, Germans and Celts. In any case,
the Sea Peoples were not one nation, but consisted of various
clans. One group called Philistines settled in the area of modern
Lebanon and Israel (Philistine=Palestine). Another group destroyed
the Hittite kingdom (which was itself founded by an earlier
group of Indo-Europeans) , while another, the Mycenaeans, conquered
Crete. Yet another group attacked Egypt, but were defeated.
25
years ago / 50 years ago / 80
years ago / 125 years ago /
150 years ago
250 years ago / 400
years ago / 700 years ago /
1,200 years ago
1,500 years ago / 2,000
years ago / 3,000 years ago
/ 4,000 years ago
/ 5,000 years ago / 10,000
years ago
