[See the diagrams of flint implements, [[Illustration II]] of pottery, [[Illustration III]]; and of alphabets, [[Illustration IV]]
The Periods into which the subject must be divided are roughly as follows:
I. Prehistoric down to about 1000 B.C.
II. Prehistoric Greek down to about 700 B.C.
III. Archaic Greek 700–500 B.C.
IV. Classical Greek 500–300 B.C.
V. Hellenistic after 300.
VI. Roman.
VII. Byzantine.
I. PREHISTORIC
A. NORTH GREECE.
NEOLITHIC.—Neolithic settlements on low mounds (maghoules) rising from the plains.
Stone implements. Axes, hammers, chisels, querns, &c. Flint chips, bone needles, obsidian.
Pottery. Hand–made burnished, yellow, brown, black or red. Handles rare. Holes in rim, or lugs pierced for suspension, Earliest remains show painted sherds. Long period of unpainted ware followed. Patterns irregular, rectangular and curved. No naturalism. ([III,] Figs. 1 and 2.)
Ware differs slightly with locality. In Thessaly fine red ware undecorated contemporary with red decoration on white. Chocolate paint on deep buff follows. Incised ware, geometric patterns white rubbed in.
Figurines. Rude clay. Steatopygous.
This civilization extended from northern edge of Thessaly as far south as Chaeronea. Use of bronze before end uncertain. Civilization undisturbed by Aegean culture that spread over southern Greece until just before both were swept away by iron–using people.