Over the last few decades, archaeologists and cultural scientists
have come to a better understanding of the extent of Neolithic
civilisation on the Balkan peninsula. This Danube Civilisation, thriving
between the 6th and 4th millennia BCE, was using a writing system long
before the Mesopotamians and is remarkable for its accomplishments in
craftsmanship, art and urban development. In this book, Harald Haarmann
provides the first comprehensive insight into this enigmatic Old
European culture, which is still largely unknown to the greater public.
He describes the trade routes, settlements, mythology and writing system
of this people, traces the changes resulting from the arrival of the
Indo-Europeans, and shows how this first advanced civilisation in Europe
influenced its successors.
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Harald Haarmann, Ph.D., has traveled the world studying languages, culture, ancient civilizations, art, the Neolithic era, and whatever else has sparked his intellectual curiosity. He explains how his passion for the ancient past was awakened on a research trip to Malta in 1986. "At that time, I was doing research in the history of writing, an interest inspired by my stay in Japan (1982-1985). I became fascinated by the Neolithic era because it is when humans transitioned from hunter/gatherer societies into agrarian cultures. This is when the technology of writing first appeared. "That visit to Malta, with its megalithic temples and ancient artifacts, inspired me to penetrate ever more deeply into that time period and its civilizations. As a result, I began studying the cultures of Old Europe (ca. 7,000-3,000 BCE), and they became the key to my efforts to gain clarity about the history of early civilizations. Since much of the Neolithic writing that I studied is found on inscribed figurines, this inspired me to look closely at these three-dimensional creations and their cultural meanings. "Interacting with Figurines is one of those books that was missing when I was a young student. So I hope there are enthusiastic researchers who may profit from my joyful labor."