The Neolithic was a very long era, during which revolutionary cultural changes took place: the invention of agriculture, the domestication of animals, the establishment of permanent habitation sites etc. The transition from a nomadic to a sedentary way of life set the foundations of modern societies.
Permanent habitation created the need for efficient management of space and for works of public character (e.g. the creation of streets, wells, storage rooms for agricultural product, fortifications). As population increased and sites expanded, the relations among social groups became more complex. Symbolic objects (like the anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines) and signs of ritual activities made their appearance at a very early stage of the Neolithic.
In terms of technology, most tools and weapons were made of stone. Flint and obsidian from the island of Melos were the most common materials. The presence of Melian obsidian in various parts of mainland Greece, Crete and Asia Minor indicates that navigation was already well-developed. Pottery made its appearance in the 7th millennium BC. The making of ceramic vases required excellent control of fire conditions. Mastery in pyro-technology would prove important also for metallurgy, which would develop at a later stage in history, although small-scale metal-working is attested already in the Neolithic.
| ca. 7000 BC | Earliest permanent settlements in Greece – Introduction of farming –Introduction of domesticated species |
| ca. 6500 BC | Invention of pottery making |
| ca. 5700 BC | Sesklo culture (Thessaly) – rise of organized settlements with protective wall |
| ca. 5300 BC | Earliest evidence for the use of metals in Greece |
| ca. 4600 BC | Dimini culture (Thessaly) |
| 4th millennium BC | More systematic use of metals |
