How did Illyrian culture develop in the territory of modern Albania around 2000 BCE?

Illyrian culture is believed to have evolved from the Stone Age and manifested within the territory of modern Albania toward the beginning of the Bronze Age, approximately 2000 BCE.12

Rather than a uniform body of people, the Illyrians were a conglomeration of various tribes inhabiting the western Balkans. During this early developmental period, the culture of those residing in the highlands of Albania evolved more slowly due to their relative isolation compared to the lowland populations, a distinction that remained a persistent theme throughout the region's history.12

As the culture matured, the Illyrians became known for their skill in mining and processing minerals such as iron, copper, gold, and silver. They were also accomplished boatbuilders and sailors, developing light, swift galleys known as liburnae that were later adopted by the Romans as warships. Socially, they were characterized as a hospitable people with a tribal structure where women held relatively equal status to men, sometimes even leading tribal federations. Religiously, they were pagans who held beliefs in an afterlife, often burying their dead with personal items and weaponry.12