Dark Ages
Quick Summary
The "Dark Ages" in ancient Greece, roughly from 1200 to 900 BCE, followed the violent collapse of the great palatial centers of the Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations. This period saw severe depopulation and impoverishment in Greece. The sophisticated arts of the Bronze Age declined, with no known wall paintings from this era.12
However, around the end of the 11th century BCE, Greece began a slow recovery. At Athens, potters developed the Protogeometric style, characterized by tauter, well-proportioned pottery decorated with precise geometric patterns using improved tools like multiple brushes and compasses. Archaeological finds, such as those at Lefkandi on Euboea, suggest that some areas were not as impoverished or isolated as previously believed, with evidence of trade and sophisticated craftsmanship dating back to around 1000 BCE. This period laid the groundwork for future developments in Greek civilization.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
history of EuropeGreeks…migration was followed by the Dark Ages—two centuries of chaotic movements of tribes in Greece—at the end of which (c. 900 bce) the distribution of the Greek mainland among the various tribes was on the whole completed.
Read More…migration was followed by the Dark Ages—two centuries of chaotic movements of tribes in Greece—at the end of which (c. 900 bce) the distribution of the Greek mainland among the various tribes was on the whole completed.
Read More
ancient Greek civilizationThe post-Mycenaean period and Lefkandi…bce is often called a Dark Age. It was a time about which Greeks of the Classical age had confused and actually false notions. Thucydides, the great ancient historian of the 5th century bce, wrote a sketch of Greek history from the Trojan War to his own day, in which…
Read More…bce is often called a Dark Age. It was a time about which Greeks of the Classical age had confused and actually false notions. Thucydides, the great ancient historian of the 5th century bce, wrote a sketch of Greek history from the Trojan War to his own day, in which…
Read More