Prehistoric France is the period in the human occupation (including early hominins) of the geographical area covered by present-day France which extended through prehistory and ended in the Iron Age with the Celtic "La Tène culture". The History of France has been divided into a series of separate historical articles navigable through the list to the right "Ancient" redirects here For other uses see Ancient_(disambiguation. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western For Gaul before the Roman conquest see Gaul. Roman Gaul consisted of an area of provincial rule in the Roman Empire, in modern day The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group The Merovingians (also Merovings) were a Salian Frankish dynasty that came to rule the Franks in a region (known as Francia in Latin France in the Middle Ages covers an area roughly corresponding to modern day France, from the death of Charlemagne in 814 to the middle of the 15th The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolings, or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the For a full history of the Capetian family see Capetian dynasty. See also France in the Middle Ages, Early Modern France Unexpected inheritance The Capetian dynasty seemed secure both during and Early Modern France is the Early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century (or from the French Renaissance See also France in the Middle Ages, Early Modern France Unexpected inheritance The Capetian dynasty seemed secure both during and See also France in the Middle Ages, Early Modern France Unexpected inheritance The Capetian dynasty seemed secure both during and The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an The History of France from 1789 to 1914 ( The long 19th century) extends from the French Revolution to World War I and includes The First Republic in France, officially the French Republic (République française was proclaimed on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the Constitutional and legislative assembly The Executive Directory ( Directoire exécutif) was a body of 5 single-male Directors that held executive power in France following The Consulate was the government of France between the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire in 1799 until the start of the The Empire of the French (1804-1814 also known as the Empire of France, Greater French Empire, First French Empire, French Empire, or Following the ousting of Napoleon I of France in 1814 the Allies restored the Bourbon Dynasty to the French throne The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution, saw the overthrow of King Charles X, the French The July Monarchy (1830-1848 was a period of liberal monarchy rule of France under Louis-Philippe The February 1848 Revolution in France ended the reign of King Louis-Philippe, and led to the creation of the French Second Republic (1848-1852 History Revolution of 1848 See also Mid-nineteenth century France The industrial population of the Faubourgs The Second French Empire or Second Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870 between the Second The French Third Republic (in French, La Troisième République, sometimes written as La IIIe The Paris Commune (La Commune de Paris was a Government that briefly ruled Paris from 18 March (more formally from 26 March) to 28 May The History of France from 1914 to the present includes the later years of the Third Republic (1871–1941 World War I (1914–18 Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 The Provisional Government of the French Republic ( gouvernement provisoire de la République française or GPRF was an interim government which governed The founding of the Fourth Republic (1944-47 See also Three Parties, Third Force (France European Unity The creation of the See also Government of France The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, which was introduced on The Kingdom of France was organised into Provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département This is a history of the economy of France. For more information on historical cultural demographic and sociological developments in France see the chronological As of January 1, 2008, 64473140 people live in the French Republic. The military history of France encompasses an immense panorama of conflicts and struggles extending for more than 2000 years across areas including modern France, greater France was a dominant empire in the world from the 1600s to the late 1960s possessing many colonies in various locations around the world For practical purposes the history of French art has been divided into a series of separate articles accessible through the template to the right This article is a general introduction to French literature For detailed information on French literature in specific historic periods see the separate historical articles in the The Culture of France and of the French people has been shaped by its geography, by profound historical events, and by foreign and This is a timeline of French history. To read about the background to these events see History of France. Hominini is the tribe of Homininae that comprises humans ( Homo) Chimpanzees ( Pan) and their Extinct ancestors This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Stone Age Paleolithic See also Paleolithic, Recent African Origin, Early Homo sapiens, Early human migrations "Paleolithic" This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts The La Tène culture was a European Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site

The Palaeolithic

Lower Palaeolithic

France includes Olduwan (Abbevillian) and Acheulean sites from early or non-modern (transitional) Hominini species, most notably Homo erectus and Homo heidelbergensis. Oldowan (earlier spelled Olduwan or sometimes Oldawan) is an anthropological designation for an industrial complex of Stone tools used by Abbevillian is a currently obsolescent name for a tool tradition that is increasingly coming to be called Olduwan. Acheulean (also spelled Acheulian,) is the name given to an Archaeological industry of Stone tool manufacture associated with prehistoric Hominins Hominini is the tribe of Homininae that comprises humans ( Homo) Chimpanzees ( Pan) and their Extinct ancestors Homo erectus ( Latin: "upright man" is an extinct species of the genus Homo, believed to have been the first hominin Homo heidelbergensis ("Heidelberg Man" is an Extinct Species of the Genus Homo which may be the direct ancestor Cave sites were exploited for habitation, but the hunter-gatherers of the Palaeolithic also possibly built shelters such as those identified in connection with Acheulean tools at Grotte du Lazaret and Terra Amata near Nice in France. A hunter-gatherer society is one whose primary subsistence method involves the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild Foraging and Hunting The Grotte du Lazaret (English Cave of Le Lazaret is a Cave now in the eastern suburbs of the French town of Nice and now overlooking the Mediterranean -- 216175714 ( talk) 0344 7 October 2008 (UTC Terra Amata is an Archaeological site near the French town of Nice. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek

Middle Palaeolithic

The Neanderthals, the earliest Homo sapiens to occupy Europe, are thought to have arrived there around 300,000 BC, but seem to have died out by about by 30,000 BC, presumably unable to compete with modern humans during a period of cold weather. The Neanderthal (neɪˈændərtɑːl also with /niː-/ and /-θɔːl/ or Neandertal, is an extinct member of the Homo genus that is known from Numerous Neanderthal, or "Mousterian", artifacts (named after the type site of Le Moustier, a rock shelter in the Dordogne region of France) have been found from this period, some using the "Levallois technique", a distinctive type of flint knapping developed by hominids during the Lower Palaeolithic but most commonly associated with the Neanderthal industries of the Middle Palaeolithic. Mousterian is a name given by archaeologists to a style of predominantly Flint tools (or industry) associated primarily with Homo neanderthalensis In Archaeology a type site (also known as a type-site or typesite) is a site that is considered the model of a particular Archaeological Le Moustier is an Archeological site consisting of two Rock shelters in Peyzac-le-Moustier, Dordogne, France. Dordogne (Dordonha is a department in central France named after the Dordogne River. The Levallois technique is a name given by Archaeologists to a distinctive type of flint knapping developed by humans during the Palaeolithic period Lithic reduction involves the use of a hard hammer percussor such as a Hammerstone, a soft hammer fabricator (made of Wood, Bone or Antler) The Lower Paleolithic (or Lower Palaeolithic) is the earliest subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age.

Upper Palaeolithic

The earliest modern humans — Cro-Magnons — entered Europe (including France) around 40,000 years ago during a long interglacial period of particularly mild climate, when Europe was relatively warm, and food was plentiful. Cro-Magnon ( French) is one of the main types of Homo sapiens of the European Upper Paleolithic, living approximately 40000 to 10000 years An interglacial is a geological interval of warmer global average temperature that separates Glacial periods within an Ice age. When they arrived in Europe, they brought with them sculpture, engraving, painting, body ornamentation, music and the painstaking decoration of utilitarian objects. Some of the oldest works of art in the world, such as the cave paintings at Lascaux in southern France, are datable to shortly after this migration. Cave paintings are Paintings on Cave walls and ceilings and the term is used especially for those dating to Prehistoric times Lascaux is the setting of a complex of Caves in southwestern France famous for its prehistoric Cave paintings The original caves are located near

European Palaeolithic cultures are divided into several chronological subgroups (the names are all based on French type sites, principally in the Dordogne region):

• Aurignacian (c. In Archaeology a type site (also known as a type-site or typesite) is a site that is considered the model of a particular Archaeological Dordogne (Dordonha is a department in central France named after the Dordogne River. Aurignacian is the name of a culture of the Upper Palaeolithic located in Europe and southwest Asia. 34,000 - 23,000 BP) - responsible for Venus figurines, cave paintings at the Chauvet Cave (continued during the Gravettian period). Venus figurines is an Umbrella term for a number of prehistoric Statuettes of women sharing common attributes (many depicted as apparently Obese The Chauvet Cave or Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave is located at N 44° 21' and E 4° 29' 24" near Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, in the Ardèche département in southern
• Périgordian (c. Périgordian is a term for several distinct but related Upper Palaeolithic cultures which are thought by some archaeologists to represent a contiguous Tradition 35,000 - 20,000 BP) - use of this term is debated (the term implies that the following subperiods represent a continuous tradition).
  • Châtelperronian (c. Châtelperronian was the earliest industry of the Upper Palaeolithic in central and south western France, extending also into Northern Spain. 35,000 - 29,000 BP) - culture derived from the earlier, Neanderthal, Mousterian industry as it made use of Levallois cores and represents the period when Neanderthals and modern humans occupied Europe together. Before Present (BP years are a time scale used in Archaeology, Geology, and other scientific disciplines to specify when events in the past occurred
  • Gravettian (c. The Gravettian was an industry of the European Upper Palaeolithic. 28,000 - 22,000 BP) - responsible for Venus figurines, cave paintings at the Cosquer Cave. Venus figurines is an Umbrella term for a number of prehistoric Statuettes of women sharing common attributes (many depicted as apparently Obese The Cosquer cave is located in the Calanque de Morgiou near Marseille, France, not very far from Cap Morgiou
• Solutrean (c. The Solutrean industry is a relatively advanced flint tool-making style of the Upper Palaeolithic. 21,000 - 17,000 BP)
• Magdalenian (c. The Magdalenian, also spelled Magdalénien refers to one of the later cultures of the Upper Palaeolithic in Western Europe. 18,000 - 10,000 BP) - thought to be responsible for the cave paintings at Pech Merle (in the Lot in Languedoc, dating back to 16,000 B. Pech Merle, a hillside opening in the Lot département of Midi-Pyrénées region in France, about 35 minutes drive east of Cahors, Lot ( Occitan: Òlt) is a department in the southwest of France named after the Lot River. Languedoc ( in French Lengadòc in Occitan) is a former Province of France, now continued in the modern-day ''régions'' of Languedoc-Roussillon C. ), Lascaux (located near the village of Montignac, in the Dordogne, dating back to somewhere between 13,000 and 15,000 B. Lascaux is the setting of a complex of Caves in southwestern France famous for its prehistoric Cave paintings The original caves are located near Montignac is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. Dordogne (Dordonha is a department in central France named after the Dordogne River. C. , and perhaps as far back as 25,000 B. C. ) and the Trois-Frères cave. The Cave of the Trois-Frères is one of the famous Caves in southwestern France famous for its Cave paintings It is located in Montesquieu-Avantès

Experts sometimes refer to the "Franco-Cantabrian region" to describe this densely populated region of southern France and northern Spain in the late Palaeolithic. The Franco-Cantabrian region (also Franco-Cantabric region) is a term applied in Archaeology and History to refer to an area that stretches from

The Mesolithic

From the Paleolithic to the Mesolithic, the Magdalenian culture evolved. The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age was a period in the development of human technology in between the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age and the Neolithic or New Stone Age In South-West France and Spain, one finds the Azilian culture which co-existed with similar early Mesolithic European cultures such as the Tjongerian of Northern and the Swiderian of North-Eastern Europe. The Azilian is a name given by Archaeologists to an industry of the Epipaleolithic in northern Spain and southern France. The Azilian is a name given by Archaeologists to an industry of the Epipaleolithic in northern Spain and southern France. Swiderian culture, also published in English literature as Sviderian and Swederian, is the name of Final Palaeolithic cultural complexes in Poland and the The Azilian culture was followed by the Sauveterrian in Southern France and Switzerland, the Tardenoisian in Northern France, the Maglemosian in Northern Europe. The Sauveterrian is the name for an Archaeological culture of the European Epipaleolithic which flourished around 7000-8000 years BC The Tardenoisian is an Archaeological culture of the Epipaleolithic period from north-western France and Belgium. Maglemosian (ca 7500 BC - ca 6000 BC) is the name given to a culture of the early Epipaleolithic period in Northern Europe.

Archeologists are unsure whether Western Europe saw a Mesolithic immigration. If Neolithic immigrants to Europe were indeed Indo-European, then populations speaking non-Indo-European languages are obvious candidates for Mesolithic remnants. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The Vascons (Basques) of the Pyrenees present the strongest case, since their language is related to none other in the world, and the Basque population has a unique genetic profile. The Vascones (Latin singular VASCO) were an ancient people who at the arrival of the Romans, inhabited the region of present day Navarre The Basques (Euskaldunak are a people who inhabit a region spanning over parts of north-central Spain and southwestern France. The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés Some archeologists however situate the arrival of Vascons in the Neolithic or the Bronze Age.

The Neolithic

The Menec alignments, the most well-known megalithic site amongst the Carnac stones. The Carnac stones are an exceptionally dense collection of Megalithic sites around the French village of Carnac, in Brittany, consisting of alignments

During the Neolithic -- which lasted, in Northern Europe (see Neolithic Europe), around 3000 years (ca. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Neolithic Europe is the time between roughly from 7000 BC (the approximate time of the first farming societies in Greece) to ca 4500 BC–1700 BC) and which is characterised by the adoption of agriculture (the so-called Neolithic Revolution), the development of pottery and more complex, larger settlements -- there was an expansion of peoples from southwest Asia into Europe; this diffusion across Europe, from the Aegean to Britain, took about 2,500 years (6500 BC - 4000 BC). Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture The Neolithic Revolution was the first Agricultural revolution &mdashthe transition from hunting and gathering communities and bands to Agriculture and Pottery is the Ceramic ware made by potters It also refers to a group of materials that includes Earthenware, Stoneware Many archaeologists believe that this expansion, marking the eclipse of Mesolithic culture, coincided with the introduction of Indo-European speakers, whereas many linguists prefer to see Indo-European languages introduced during the succeeding Bronze Age. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for By this latter theory (the Kurgan hypothesis), Neolithic peoples in Europe are called "Pre-Indo-Europeans" or "Old Europe". The Kurgan hypothesis (also theory or model) is a model of early Indo-European origins, which postulates that the Kurgan culture of the Pontic steppe

Many European Neolithic groups share basic characteristics, such as living in small-scale family-based communities, subsisting on domestic plants and animals supplemented with the collection of wild plant foods and with hunting, and producing hand-made pottery (that is made without the potter's wheel). Domestication (from Latin domesticus) refers to the process whereby a Population of Animals In Pottery, a potter's wheel is a machine used in the shaping of round ceramic wares Archeological sites from the Neolithic in France include artifacts from the Linear Pottery culture (ca. 5500-4500 BC), the Rössen culture (ca. The Rössen Culture ( German: Rössener Kultur) is a Central European culture of the middle Neolithic (4600–4300 BC 4500—4000 B. C. ), and the Chasséen culture (4,500 - 2,500 BC; named after Chassey-le-Camp in Saône-et-Loire), the name given to the late Neolithic pre-Beaker culture that spread throughout the plains and plateaux of France, including the Seine basin and the upper Loire valleys. Chasséen culture is the name given to the early pre- Bell beaker Archaeological culture of Prehistoric France of the late Neolithic ( Stone Chassey-le-Camp is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire département, in the French region of Bourgogne. Saône-et-Loire ( Sona-et-Lêre in Arpitan language is a French department, named after the Saône and the Loire The Bell-Beaker culture (sometimes shortened to Beaker culture, Beaker people, or Beaker folk; Glockenbecherkultur) ca The Seine (sɛn in French) is a slow flowing major River and commercial waterway within the regions of Île-de-France and Haute-Normandie Loire ( Arpitan: Lêre, Occitan: Léger) is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the

"Armorican" (Brittany) and Northern French neolithic culture is based on traditions of the Linear Pottery culture or "Limburg pottery" in association with the La Hoguette culture. La Hoguette is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northern France.

It is most likely from the Neolithic that date the megalithic (large stone) monuments, such as the dolmens, menhirs, stone circles and chamber tombs, found throughout France, the largest selection of which are in the Brittany and Auvergne regions. A dolmen (also known as cromlech, anta, Hünengrab, Hunebed, Goindol, quoit, and portal dolmen) is a type of A menhir is a large upright Standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as Monoliths or as part of a group of similar stones A stone circle is an ancient monument Such a monument is not always precisely circular and often forms an ellipse or a setting of four stones laid on an arc of a circle A chamber tomb is a Tomb for Burial used in many different Cultures In the case of individual burials the chamber is thought to signify a higher status Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into Auvergne ( Occitan: Auvèrnhe / Auvèrnha) is one of the 26 administrative regions of France. The most famous of these are the Carnac stones (ca. The Carnac stones are an exceptionally dense collection of Megalithic sites around the French village of Carnac, in Brittany, consisting of alignments 3300 BC, but may date to as old as 4500 BC) and the stones at Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens. Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.

The Copper Age

During the Chalcolithic ("Copper Age") a transitional age from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, France shows evidence of the Seine-Oise-Marne culture and the Beaker culture. The Chalcolithic (Greek khalkos + lithos ' Copper stone' period or Copper Age period known as the '''Eneolithic''' ('''Æneolithic''' is a

The Seine-Oise-Marne culture or "SOM culture" (ca. The Seine-Oise-Marne or SOM culture is the name given by Archaeologists to the final culture of the Neolithic and first culture of the 3100 BC to 2400 BC) is the name given by archaeologists to the final culture of the Neolithic in Northern France around the Oise River and Marne River. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The Oise River is a right Tributary of the Seine River Its length is 302 km in Belgium and France. The Marne is a River in France, a right Tributary of the Seine in the area east and southeast of Paris. It is most famous for its gallery grave megalithic tombs which incorporate a port-hole slab separating the entrance from the main burial chamber. A Gallery grave is a form of Megalithic tomb where there is no size difference between the burial chamber itself and the entrance passage Forecourt In Archaeology, a forecourt is the name given to the area in front of certain types of Chamber tomb. In the chalk valley of the Marne River rock-cut tombs were dug to a similar design. Chalk (ʧɔːk is a soft white porous Sedimentary rock, a form of Limestone composed of the Mineral Calcite. The Marne is a River in France, a right Tributary of the Seine in the area east and southeast of Paris.

Beginning about 2600 BCE the Artenacian culture, participant of the larger European Megalithic Culture developed in Dordogne, possibly as a reaction to the advance of Danubian peoples (such as SOM) over Western France. Artenacian culture, named after the archaeological site of Artenac in Charente appeared in the Late Chalcolithic, c The term Danubian culture was coined by the Australian archaeologist Vere Gordon Childe to describe the first agrarian society in central and eastern Europe Armed with typical arrows, they took over all Atlantic France and Belgium by 2400 BCE, establishing a stable border with Indo-Europeans (Corded Ware) near the Rhin that would remain stable for more than a millennium. The Corded Ware culture, alternatively characterized as the Battle Axe culture or Single Grave culture is an enormous European Archaeological horizon that

In the Southeast, several groups whose culture had evolved from Chasséen culture also built megaliths. Chasséen culture is the name given to the early pre- Bell beaker Archaeological culture of Prehistoric France of the late Neolithic ( Stone

The Beaker culture (ca. The Bell-Beaker culture (sometimes shortened to Beaker culture, Beaker people, or Beaker folk; Glockenbecherkultur) ca 2800 – 1900 B. C. ) is a wide phenomenon that expanded over most of France, excluding the Massif Central without significatively altering the pre-existing cultures. The Massif Central ( Occitan: Massís Central / Massís Centrau) is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of Mountains and

Europe in ca. 4500-4000 BC

Europe in ca. The 5th millennium BC saw the spread of Agriculture from the Near East throughout southern and central Europe Events Start of Naqada culture in Egypt 4000 BC — Early Jomon period begins on the islands of Japan 4000-3500 BC

Extent of the Beaker culture (ca. Events Start of Naqada culture in Egypt 4000 BC — Early Jomon period begins on the islands of Japan The 35th century BC in the Near East sees the gradual transition from the Chalcolithic to the Early Bronze Age. The Bell-Beaker culture (sometimes shortened to Beaker culture, Beaker people, or Beaker folk; Glockenbecherkultur) ca 2800 – 1900 B. C. )

The Bronze Age

The early Bronze age archeological cultures in France include the transitional Beaker culture (ca. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for The Bell-Beaker culture (sometimes shortened to Beaker culture, Beaker people, or Beaker folk; Glockenbecherkultur) ca 2800 – 1900 B. C. ), the Tumulus culture (ca. The Tumulus culture dominated Central Europe during the Middle Bronze Age (ca 1600-1200 B. C. ) and Urnfield culture (ca. The Urnfield culture (c 1300 BC - 750 BC) was a late Bronze Age culture of central Europe. 1300-800 B. C. ). Bronze Age sites in Brittany are believed to have grown out of Beaker roots, with some Wessex culture and Unetice culture influence. The Wessex culture is the predominant prehistoric culture of central and southern Britain during the early Bronze Age, originally defined by the British Unetice -- or more properly Únětice culture (German Aunjetitz -- is the name given to an early Bronze Age culture, preceded by the Beaker culture Some scholars think that the Urnfield culture represents an origin for the Celts as a distinct cultural branch of the Indo-European family (see Proto-Celtic). Phonological reconstruction Consonants The phonological changes from Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Celtic Consonants may be summarised as follows This culture was preeminent in central Europe during the late Bronze Age; the Urnfield period saw a dramatic increase in population in the region, probably due to innovations in technology and agricultural practices.

A simplified map, ca 1200 BC, showing the central Urnfield culture (red), the northern Urnfield culture (orange), the Knoviz culture (blue-gray), the Lusatian culture (purple), the Danubian culture (brown), the Terramare culture (blue), the West European Bronze Age (green) and the Nordic Bronze Age (yellow). The Lusatian culture existed in the later Bronze Age and early Iron Age ( 1300 BC - 500 BC) in eastern Germany, most of Poland The term Danubian culture was coined by the Australian archaeologist Vere Gordon Childe to describe the first agrarian society in central and eastern Europe Terramare or Terramara is a Bronze Age Archaeological culture of Italy and Dalmatia, dating to ca The so called Atlantic Bronze Age is a cultural complex of the approx The Nordic Bronze Age (also Northern Bronze Age) is the name given by Oscar Montelius to a period and a Bronze Age culture in Scandinavian

Some archeologists date the arrival of several non-Indo-European peoples to this period, including the Iberians in southern France and Spain, the Ligures on the Mediterranean coast, and the Vascons (Basques) in southwest France and Spain. The Iberians were a set of peoples that Greek and Roman sources (among others Hecataeus of Miletus, Avienus, Herodot and Strabo Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Ligures (singular Ligus or Ligur; English: Ligurians, Greek:) were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria The Vascones (Latin singular VASCO) were an ancient people who at the arrival of the Romans, inhabited the region of present day Navarre The Basques (Euskaldunak are a people who inhabit a region spanning over parts of north-central Spain and southwestern France.

The Iron Age

The spread of iron-working led to the development of the Hallstatt culture (ca. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. The Hallstatt culture was the predominant 700 to 500 BC) directly from the Urnfield. Proto-Celtic, the latest common ancestor of all known Celtic languages, is considered by this school of thought to have been spoken at the time of the late Urnfield or early Hallstatt cultures, in the early first millennium BC. Phonological reconstruction Consonants The phonological changes from Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Celtic Consonants may be summarised as follows The 1st millennium BC encompasses the Iron Age and sees the rise of successive empires

The Hallstatt culture was succeeded by the La Tène culture, which developed out of the Hallstatt culture without any definite cultural break, under the impetus of considerable Mediterranean influence from Greek, and later Etruscan civilizations. The La Tène culture was a European Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to the culture and way of life of a people of ancient Italy The La Tène culture developed and flourished during the late Iron Age (from 450 BC to the Roman conquest in the 1st century BC) in eastern France, Switzerland, Austria, southwest Germany, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. The 1st century BC started the first day of 100 BC and ended the last day of 1 BC. Farther to the north extended the contemporary Pre-Roman Iron Age culture of Northern Germany and Scandinavia. The Pre-Roman Iron Age of Northern Europe ( 5th / 4th century BC - 1st century BC) designates the earliest part of the Iron Age in Scandinavia

The green area suggests a possible extent of (proto-)Celtic influence around 1000 BC. The orange area shows the region of birth of the La Tène style. The La Tène culture was a European Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site The red area indicates an idea of the possible region of Celtic influence around 400 BC. Events By place Persian Empire Artaxerxes II King of Persia appoints Tissaphernes to take over all the districts in

In addition, Greeks and Phoenicians settled outposts like Marseille in this period (ca. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Phoenicia ( Phoenician: Phoenician nunsvg|12px|נ]]Phoenician nun Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ 600 BC).

By the second century BC, Celtic France was called Gaul by the Romans, the people to the north (in what is present-day Belgium) were called Belgae (scholars believe this may represent a mixture of Celtic and Germanic elements) and the peoples of the south-west of France were called the Aquitani by the Romans, and may have been Celtiberians or Vascons. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western The Belgae were a group of tribes living in northern Gaul in the 1st century BC and later also attested in Britain. The Aquitani ( Latin for Aquitanians) were a people living in what is now southwestern France, between the Pyrenees and the Garonne The Celtiberians (or Celt-Iberians were a Celtic people of Hallstatt culture The Vascones (Latin singular VASCO) were an ancient people who at the arrival of the Romans, inhabited the region of present day Navarre

Timeline

Prehistoric and Iron Age France - all dates are BC

• 1,800,000: Appearance of stone tools (possibly by Homo erectus) in France (Chilhac, Haute-Loire). Homo erectus ( Latin: "upright man" is an extinct species of the genus Homo, believed to have been the first hominin Chilhac is a Village and commune in the Haute-Loire département of southern-central France. Haute-Loire ( Occitan: Naut Léger) is a department in south-central France named after the Loire River.
• 900,000: Beginning of Günz glaciation. The Beestonian Stage is the name for an early Pleistocene stage used in the British Isles.
• 700,000: Oldest shaped tools in Brittany.
• 600,000: Beginning of Günz-Mindel interglacial. Appearance of Homo heidelbergensis in Europe. Homo heidelbergensis ("Heidelberg Man" is an Extinct Species of the Genus Homo which may be the direct ancestor
• 450,000: "Tautavel man" (possibly Homo heidelbergensis). Homo heidelbergensis ("Heidelberg Man" is an Extinct Species of the Genus Homo which may be the direct ancestor
• 410,000: Beginning of Mindel glaciation (Mindel I). The Kansan Glaciation (known in the UK as the Anglian glaciation, Elster glaciation in northern Europe and the Mindel glaciation in the Abbevillian culture, taming of fire. Abbevillian is a currently obsolescent name for a tool tradition that is increasingly coming to be called Olduwan. Fire is the heat and light energy released during a Chemical reaction, in particular a combustion reaction.
• 400,000: Mindel II. Shards of "proto-Levallois" tools.
• 380,000: Terra Amata (Nice). -- 216175714 ( talk) 0344 7 October 2008 (UTC Terra Amata is an Archaeological site near the French town of Nice. Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek
• 300,000: Beginning of Mindel-Riss interglacial.
• 300,000: Appearance of Neanderthals in Europe. The Neanderthal (neɪˈændərtɑːl also with /niː-/ and /-θɔːl/ or Neandertal, is an extinct member of the Homo genus that is known from
• 200,000: Beginning of Riss glaciation (Riss I).
• 190,000: Riss II.
• 140,000: Riss III.
• 130,000: Beginning of Riss-Würm interglacial. The Eemian interglacial era, now known as the Eemian Stage is temporally equivalent to the Sangamon Stage in North America, the Ipswichian Stage in
• 70,000: Beginning of Würm glaciation. "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period
• 62,000: Würm I/II interglacial.
• 57,000: Brorup interglacial.
• 55,000: Würm II.
• 40,000: Laufen interglacial. Arrival of first modern humans (Cro-Magnons) in Europe. Cro-Magnon ( French) is one of the main types of Homo sapiens of the European Upper Paleolithic, living approximately 40000 to 10000 years
• 35,000: Würm IIIa. Châtelperronian culture. Châtelperronian was the earliest industry of the Upper Palaeolithic in central and south western France, extending also into Northern Spain.
• 33,000: Mask of la Roche-Cotard, a Mousterian artefact. The Mask of la Roche-Cotard is a Mousterian artifact, found in 2002 in the entrance of La Roche-Cotard on the banks of the Loire River
• 32,000: Aurignacian culture. Aurignacian is the name of a culture of the Upper Palaeolithic located in Europe and southwest Asia.
• 30,000: First statuettes and engravings in France. Disappearance of Neanderthals. The Neanderthal (neɪˈændərtɑːl also with /niː-/ and /-θɔːl/ or Neandertal, is an extinct member of the Homo genus that is known from
• 28,000: Arcy interglacial.
• 27,500: Würm IIIb.
• 25,000: Paudorf interglacial.
• 23,000: Würm IIIc.
• 18,000: End of Würm glaciation. "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period
• 18,692: Beginning of Solutrean culture. The Solutrean industry is a relatively advanced flint tool-making style of the Upper Palaeolithic.
• 16,000: Cold spell (Oldest Dryas). The Oldest Dryas was a climatic period which occurred during the coldest Stadial after the Weichselian glaciation in north Europe
• 15,000: Magdalenian culture. The Magdalenian, also spelled Magdalénien refers to one of the later cultures of the Upper Palaeolithic in Western Europe.
• 15,300: Lascaux. Lascaux is the setting of a complex of Caves in southwestern France famous for its prehistoric Cave paintings The original caves are located near
• 14,500: Middle Magdalenian. Bølling Oscillation. The Bølling Oscillation was a warm period that occurred during the final stages of the last Glaciation of Europe.
• 14,100: Cold spell (Older Dryas). The Older Dryas was a somewhat variable cold dry Blytt-Sernander period of North Europe, roughly equivalent to Pollen zone 1c
• 14,000: Allerød Oscillation. The Allerød period is a part of a temperature oscillation toward the end of the last Glaciation, during which temperatures in the northern Atlantic region rose from
• 13,500: Upper Magdalenian.
• 10,300: Cold spell (Younger Dryas). The Younger Dryas Stadial, named after the alpine / tundra wildflower Dryas octopetala, and also referred to as the Big Freeze, was a brief (approximately
• 9500: Beginning of Holocene. The Holocene is a Geological epoch which began approximately 10000 years ago (about 8000 BC
• 7000: Domestication of the sheep.
• 6900: Domestication of the dog. The dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated Subspecies of the gray wolf, a Mammal of the Canidae family of the order
• 4800: Appearance of Linear Pottery culture in France.
• 4650: Oldest neolithic village in France, Courthézon in the Vaucluse. Courthézon is a commune of the Vaucluse département in southern France. The Vaucluse ( Provençal Occitan: Vauclusa in classical norm or Vau-Cluso in Mistralian norm is a department in the southeast of
• 4000: Neolithic Chasséen culture village of Bercy. Chasséen culture is the name given to the early pre- Bell beaker Archaeological culture of Prehistoric France of the late Neolithic ( Stone Bercy is an area in the east of the city of Paris, France, north of the river Seine.
• 3610: Appearance of first megaliths in France.
• 3430: Chasséen culture village of Saint-Michel du Touch near Toulouse. Chasséen culture is the name given to the early pre- Bell beaker Archaeological culture of Prehistoric France of the late Neolithic ( Stone Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest
• 3430: Appearance of Rössen culture at Baume de Gonvilla in Haute-Saône. The Rössen Culture ( German: Rössener Kultur) is a Central European culture of the middle Neolithic (4600–4300 BC Haute-Saône ( Hiôta-Sona in Arpitan language is a French department of the Franche-Comté ( Franche-Comtât
• 3250: Expansion of Chasséen culture in the south of France, from the Lot to the Vaucluse. Chasséen culture is the name given to the early pre- Bell beaker Archaeological culture of Prehistoric France of the late Neolithic ( Stone The Vaucluse ( Provençal Occitan: Vauclusa in classical norm or Vau-Cluso in Mistralian norm is a department in the southeast of
• 3190: Chasséen culture in Calvados. Chasséen culture is the name given to the early pre- Bell beaker Archaeological culture of Prehistoric France of the late Neolithic ( Stone The French department of Calvados forms part of the region of Basse-Normandie in Normandy.
• 2530: Chasséen culture in Pas-de-Calais. Chasséen culture is the name given to the early pre- Bell beaker Archaeological culture of Prehistoric France of the late Neolithic ( Stone Pas-de-Calais is a department in northern France. Its name is the French language equivalent of the Strait of Dover, which it borders
• 2450: End of Chasséen culture in Eure-et-Loir. Chasséen culture is the name given to the early pre- Bell beaker Archaeological culture of Prehistoric France of the late Neolithic ( Stone Eure-et-Loir is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers
• 2400: End of Chasséen culture in Saint-Mitre (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence). Chasséen culture is the name given to the early pre- Bell beaker Archaeological culture of Prehistoric France of the late Neolithic ( Stone Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ( Occitan: Aups d'Auta Provença) is a French department in the south of France, it was formerly part of the province
• 2300: Village at Ponteau (Provence) of the Beaker culture. Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France The Bell-Beaker culture (sometimes shortened to Beaker culture, Beaker people, or Beaker folk; Glockenbecherkultur) ca
• 1800: Beginning of Bronze Age in France.
• 800: Appearance in France, via the Rhine and the Moselle, and expanding into Champagne and Bourgogne of the Urnfield culture. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge The Moselle (Moselle Mosel Musel is a River flowing through France, Luxembourg and Germany. Champagne-Ardenne is one of the 26 regions of France. history and geogaphyChampagne-Ardenne is a region located in the northeast of France bordering Belgium Bourgogne ( English: Burgundy is one of the 26 regions of France. The Urnfield culture (c 1300 BC - 750 BC) was a late Bronze Age culture of central Europe.
• 725: Beginning of Hallstatt culture. The Hallstatt culture was the predominant
• 680: Founding of Antibes, the first Greek colony in France. Antibes ( Provençal Occitan: Antíbol in classical norm or Antibo in Mistralian norm is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions
• 600: Founding of Massalia (future Marseille) by the Greeks from the Ionian city of Phocaea[1]. Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Geography Physical Ionia was of small extent not exceeding 90 geographical miles in length from north to south with a breadth varying from 40 to 55 miles but to this This article is about the ancient city For the modern city see Foça Phocaea, or Phokaia, (Φώκαια (modern-day Foça
• 450: The Celts of la Tène appear in Champagne. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts The La Tène culture was a European Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name They expand to the Garonne, forming what will come to be called the Gaul civilization. The Garonne (Garonne in Occitan, Catalan and Spanish: Garona; Garumna is a River in southwest France and northern Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western
• 390: The Celtic chief Brennus sacks Rome. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Brennus (or Brennos) was a chieftain of the Senones, a Gallic tribe originating from the modern areas of France known as Seine-et-Marne Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2
• 121: Roman occupation of Gallia Narbonensis. Gallia Narbonensis ( Narbonese Gaul) was a Roman province located in what is now Languedoc and Provence, in southern France.
• 118: Founding of the Roman colony Narbo Martius (future Narbonne). Narbonne ( Narbona in Catalan and in Occitan, the Roman Narbo) is a commune in southwestern France in the
• 58-51: Conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western

See also

• Timeline of glaciation
• Neolithic Europe
• Pre-Indo-European
• Indo-European people
• Proto-Celtic language
• Prehistory of Brittany
• Prehistoric Britain
• Prehistoric Iberia
• Prehistoric Romania
• Archaeological sites in France

External links

• French National Museum of Antiquities in the Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (in French)
• Lascaux Cave Official Lascaux Web site, from the French Ministry of Culture. There have been four major periods of glaciation in the Earth's past Neolithic Europe is the time between roughly from 7000 BC (the approximate time of the first farming societies in Greece) to ca Phonological reconstruction Consonants The phonological changes from Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Celtic Consonants may be summarised as follows This page concerns the Prehistory of Brittany. Palaeolithic Brittany was never glaciated during the Quaternary, owing to its latitude proximity Prehistoric Britain was a period in the human occupation of Great Britain that was the later part of Prehistory, conventionally ending with the Roman invasion The Prehistory of the Iberian peninsula begins with the arrival of the first Hominins c Prehistoric Romania (generally known before the Middle Ages emergence as a State as the region Dacia of the Dacians tribe
• The Dawn of Rock Art. An article summarizing the earliest known rock art, with a focus on recently discovered painted caves in Europe, Grotto Cosquer and Grotto Chauvet. The Cosquer cave is located in the Calanque de Morgiou near Marseille, France, not very far from Cap Morgiou The Chauvet Cave or Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave is located at N 44° 21' and E 4° 29' 24" near Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, in the Ardèche département in southern
• La Tène site: brief text, illustrations (in French)