The research direction represented by the Archaeomythological Institute is currently experiencing a renaissance after DNA research has confirmed its central hypotheses. IAM’s European branch makes research on Old European civilization and its influence on Western culture available to audiences in versatile forms.

The archaeologist Marija Gimbutas discovered Old Europe, or the Danube Civilization, in the 1980s. This civilization had intriguing features such as a pre-democratic social structure in which peace and gender equality reigned, as well as a cosmology based on female divinity. Many inventions were conceived for the first time in human history. The arrival of the Indo-Europeans to Southeastern Europe caused a collision; the social structure became hierarchical and conflict became a part of everyday life. Female divinity divided, gaining male deities as counterparts. Invention transformed into the refinement of already existing inventions.

Our blog series and educational videos present these features and the effects of this cultural collision. Extensive research by Marija Gimbutas and Harald Haarmann, the director of IAM’s European branch, provides the background. Docent Kaarina Kailo represents the same research orientation in Nordic folklore studies.

 

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News

  • 2.4.2024

    The article "Lost People of Old Europe" by Harald Haarmann and Mariagrazia Pelaia has been published in the March 2024 issue of the Prometeo Liberato magazine. The online magazine is available on the website's bottom section and on Issuu service.

  • The Goddess Project Podcast interviews PhD Kaarina Kailo on her newest book. Watch on YouTube.

  • Harald Haarmann and other researchers will lecture in Vienna on April 20, 2024. The event will be in German. More information.

    Introducing the Association Pro Vanha Eurooppa (a non-profit organization registered in Finland) and its programmatic orientation

    In a series of presentations, ancient living-conditions in the wider Danube Region will be illuminated, with the intention to provide a framework for an understanding of the achievements in the pre-Greek era and, to convey information about a major change in the perception of cultural history: Ancient Greek civilization of antiquity was not the cradle of western civilization.

    It assumed a different role which was that of a turntable for the transmission of knowledge about the cultural heritage of the ancient Danube civilization.

  • Jonas Hopf interviews Harald Haarmann on the topic of Europe's first civilization. The German-language discussion is available on YouTube. Automatic translation subtitles are available.

  • Uwe Hinrichs has written a review of Harald Haarmann's work “Kairos. Human Responses to the Flow of Time in the Dynamic Formation Process of Western Civilization.” (Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung. Hildesheim 2023.)

    The review will be published later in the Zeitschrift für Balkanologie journal.

  • Helen Hye-Sook Hwang interviews Dr. Kaarina Kailo in Return to Mago E-Magazine. Kailo discusses her career, multidisciplinary research approach and her art. Read the article here.

  • At the Bulgarian premiere of his book “Introduction to the Danube Script”, PhD Harald Haarmann proposes the addition of the Danube script to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Watch Haarmann’s presentation on YouTube.

    The premiere, organized by the Central Library of the Capital, Association Balkanmedia, and Magazine 8, took place on November 23, 2023, in Sofia, Bulgaria.

“I reject the assumption that civilization refers only to androcratic warrior societies. The generative basis of any civilization lies in its degree of artistic creation, aesthetic achievements, nonmaterial values, and freedom which make life meaningful and enjoyable for all its citizens, as well as a balance of powers between the sexes.”
— Marija Gimbutas
 
Division of labor and cooperation between men and women in Old European society Tasks were divided based on skills and circumstances: 🏺Some fields such as ship-building or metal casting were predominantly male, while others such as ceramics, invol
Division of labor and cooperation between men and women in Old European society Tasks were divided based on skills and circumstances: 🏺Some fields such as ship-building or metal casting were predominantly male, while others such as ceramics, involved collaboration. Archaeological findings have revealed an altogether unique form of cooperation in pottery. It was the mens' task to locate important sources of clay and bring the raw material to the workshop. There they prepared an appropriate mixture; clay that was too thick was lightened by adding a powder made from spondylus shell. The men shaped the crude forms of the pots. After this, the women joined in and saw to the glazing. The women also inscribed the pots with ornamental decorations and writing. ⚖️Both men and women were traders. Some researchers believe that women were perhaps solely responsible for river trade along the Danube and its tributaries. 🤔After the golden era of Old Europe, the cooperation between men and women was subjected to pressure caused by social hierarchies and power struggles. Women's liberties in many areas were gradually restricted or completely removed. In modern Western democratic states, women have regained opportunities to cooperate with men as they once did in Old Europe. However, today's opportunities are still strained by a long history of women's oppression. The question remains as to whether things commonly related to masculinity are still considered more valuable than those related to femininity. How could research on Old Europe help to dismantle this value hierarchy which, as pointed out by feminist philosophers, is unbeneficial to women and femininity and thus restricts the possibilities of cooperation? Read more on our blog. Link in bio: Welcome->Blog->"An interesting division of labor and cooperation between men and women in Old European society" #equality #archaeomythology #culturalhistory #amisuomi #ceramics #archaeology #iameurobranch #europe #danubecivilization #marijagimbutas #oldeurope #haraldhaarmann #pottery
It is a common perception that writing was invented by the Sumerians, and that it spread from Mesopotamia to the rest of the world. However, new studies on the history of writing point elsewhere. According to these, the innovation which revolutionize
It is a common perception that writing was invented by the Sumerians, and that it spread from Mesopotamia to the rest of the world. However, new studies on the history of writing point elsewhere. According to these, the innovation which revolutionized world history was invented as early as 2000 years prior to its early stages in Sumer. The world's oldest texts have been discovered in Southeastern Europe in the region that was Old Europe, i.e. the Danube civilization. The writing system of Old Europe consists of approximately 720 symbols. This corresponds to the number of symbols in other ancient writing systems, e.g. Sumerian cuneiform, or Egyptian hieroglyphs. A crucial difference is that Old European writing was invented long before these other writing traditions. Its stock of symbols is also original, i.e. not borrowed from another culture. How was this writing system discovered, and what do we know about the meaning of the symbols? Read more on out blog🏺 Link in stories // Link in bio: Welcome➡️Blog➡️Europeans were writing 2000 years before the Sumerians #archaeomythology #culturalhistory #amisuomi #archaeology #iameurobranch #danubecivilization #marijagimbutas #oldeurope #haraldhaarmann #danubescript #writingsystem #cuneiform #hieroglyphs #oldeuropeanwriting
Who is PhD Harald Haarmann? Here's a little info and a peek behind the scenes! Harald Haarmann is a former professor with a long-standing career in the groundbreaking field of multidisciplinary research on the civilization of Old Europe. Haarmann ha
Who is PhD Harald Haarmann? Here's a little info and a peek behind the scenes! Harald Haarmann is a former professor with a long-standing career in the groundbreaking field of multidisciplinary research on the civilization of Old Europe. Haarmann has been the vice-president of the Institute of Archaeomythology (with its main location in California) for twenty years, and being Finland-based, he functions as director of the Institute’s European Branch. He has published extensively on various topics of linguistics and cultural history and is well-known for his capacity to address, in speeches and writings, both the scientific and the general audience. Did you know? Haarmann... ✒️has written more than 80 books and more than 450 articles and essays 💬gets along in some 7 languages and can read and understand about 12 others: Ancient Greek, Latin, Japanese, Catalan and Hebrew among them 🌍has visited more than 140 countries in the world and walked on all continents We recently published a website (www.haraldhaarmann.com) in which we have collected Haarmann's work, publications and contact info. In the text titled "Inspiration" he reveals how he ended up studying and writing extensively about such an extraordinary and challenging research area as Old Europe. Regarding his personal history, where do his motivation, unique research approach and the necessary knowledge and skills come from? (Link in bio.🔗) Pictures: 📷Haarmann being interviewed on the terrace of his house, in Luumäki, Finland. A lake and spruce trees on the background. Photo by Nadja Kruse. 📷Haarmann at his desk. 📷Haarmann in a leisure time activity: rowing on the lake. 📷Northern lights can sometimes be seen in Luumäki in the wintertime. In this picture they appear above the frozen lake. #haraldhaarmann #amisuomi #archaeomythology #iameurobranch #oldeurope #danubecivilization #culturalhistory #linguistics #northernlights #auroraborealis #instituteofarchaeomythology
"Few are aware of how enlightened this period of cultural history really was. Many Old European achievements were the first in world history. The plow, the potter’s wheel, metallurgy, the art of writing, literacy and a system for recording
"Few are aware of how enlightened this period of cultural history really was. Many Old European achievements were the first in world history. The plow, the potter’s wheel, metallurgy, the art of writing, literacy and a system for recording time, i.e. a calendar, were all invented during this period. The Old Europeans were the first who knew how to build two-story houses, and they developed ship-building technology. These were indeed useful skills when the world’s oldest urban centers were born circa 4000–3500 BCE, in what is now modern-day western Ukraine. How was it possible to achieve all of this, as well as such a high standard of living brought about jointly by these inventions and a particular way of life? What was the driving force behind this highly developed culture? Could it be renewed in contemporary Europe? Old European society flourished because one of its key values was peace. If conflicts, war, and pressure created by social hierarchies and power games would have over-shadowed life, the requirements for such a highly developed culture could not have been met. People in Old European communities lived in the spirit of cooperation and thus creativity, activity and invention were able to bloom. Peace prevailed in religious life as well as in relationships between groups of people and their neighbors." The excerpt is from our blog post "Old Europe offers a new model for humanity" (15.8.2022). Link in stories and highlights. // Link in bio: Welcome➡️Blog➡️Old Europe offers a new model for humanity In the picture there's a peace lily, which symbolizes peace, tranquility and prosperity. The white spath represents a white flag which is known as a truce signal. #archaeomythology #culturalhistory #amisuomi #matriarchy #iameurobranch #danubecivilization #marijagimbutas #oldeurope #goddess #civilization #haraldhaarmann #prosperity #peace #kairos #progress #war #europeanhistory #europeanvalues #humanity #peacelily
Old European civilization flourished already in 6000 BCE, nearly two thousand years before the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Its cultural sphere included the regions which are today the Balkans, Greece and Western Ukraine. Economic
Old European civilization flourished already in 6000 BCE, nearly two thousand years before the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Its cultural sphere included the regions which are today the Balkans, Greece and Western Ukraine. Economic life in Old Europe was founded on two cornerstones: agriculture and trade. New findings have solidified the assumption that a more refined standard of living existed in Old Europe in comparison to other parts of the world at that time. This prosperity was based on extensive trading in the Danube river valley and the areas around its tributary rivers. This is were the reference to the Danube Valley civilization comes from. There was also maritime trade, from the Aegean to the Black Sea. The trade routes extended far into Western Europe and Asia Minor. Vinča, Turdaş, and Varna, located in present-day Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria, respectively, were all important centers of commerce. Pictures: 1) Danube Valley today 2) Map of Old European trade networks (This text in an excerpt from our blog (1.8.2022). Link in bio: Welcome->Blog->Old Europe in the light of new research.) #archaeomythology #amisuomi #culturalhistory #iameurobranch #europe #danubecivilization #oldeurope #history #mesopotamia #archaeology #civilization #haraldhaarmann #trade #prosperity #danube
Did you know that Old European civilization flourished already in 6000 BCE, nearly two thousand years before the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt? Few are aware of this civilization and even fewer are aware how enlightened this period o
Did you know that Old European civilization flourished already in 6000 BCE, nearly two thousand years before the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt? Few are aware of this civilization and even fewer are aware how enlightened this period of cultural history really was. Many Old European achievements, like the writing system, were the first in world history. Life was peaceful, and equality between men and women was the cornerstone of society. In this blog post Virpi Lehtinen and Harald Haarmann present some of the achievements of the Danube Valley civilization and reveal what we should really think about Ancient Greece as ”the origin of Western civilization”. Find the link to the post in stories, or tap the link in bio. (Welcome->Blog->Old Europe in the light of new research) The picture represents a reconstruction of Old European houses. #archaeomythology #amisuomi #iameurobranch #danubecivilization #marijagimbutas #oldeurope #ancientgreece #civilization #haraldhaarmann
"The idea and practice of peaceful communal life prevailed in Old Europe. But didn't Old European culture and cosmology wane as the steppe nomads wandered into Southeastern Europe during the Bronze Age, causing much social upheaval? The nomads d
"The idea and practice of peaceful communal life prevailed in Old Europe. But didn't Old European culture and cosmology wane as the steppe nomads wandered into Southeastern Europe during the Bronze Age, causing much social upheaval? The nomads did indeed transform the social structure into a patriarchy, but even so many traditions and concepts survived and were preserved. Among these concepts was peace. A significant site for perpetuating the ideal of peace was Olympia. Women who worshipped the goddess Hera organized sports competitions there every four years, which were also celebrations of peace. This tradition had already begun in the Old European era. Subsequently, men became interested in the ritualization of peace and took over the competitions, displacing the women." What are some contemporary signs of Old Europe's most lucid value, peace? How is it related to the tradition of the Olympics? Or to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin? Read the full text on our blog. Link in bio (Welcome➡️Blog➡️Peace – contemporary signs of Old Europe's most lucid value). Direct link in story! 🕊️ #archaeomythology #amisuomi #iameurobranch #danubecivilization #oldeurope #goddess #ancientgreece #haraldhaarmann #peace #greekmythology #olympics #olympia #hera #eirene #victoria #brandenburggate
"The most important celebration was a religious festival called Thesmophoria, organized exclusively for women in honor of the goddess Demeter. Demeter's name consists of two elements: de "earth", which is an Old European loan word, and
"The most important celebration was a religious festival called Thesmophoria, organized exclusively for women in honor of the goddess Demeter. Demeter's name consists of two elements: de "earth", which is an Old European loan word, and meter "mother", which is Indo-European in origin. In the family tree of ancient goddesses, Demeter was the daughter of the Old European Earth Mother, and her fertility cult belonged to Old European tradition. The celebrants believed that the goddess had once made an agreement with the farmers to protect their work and bless their harvest. The literal translation of the festival's name is "an agreement made in the traditional way". Thesmophoria was celebrated in October, when the Autumn seeds were sown into the fields for the next growing season." Read the full text about women's festivals in Ancient Greece on our blog. 🌱💃🍇 Link in bio: Welcome / Blog / Processions, orgies and pomegranate seeds — women's festivals in Ancient Greece. Direct link in stories. #archaeomythology #amisuomi #iameurobranch #danubecivilization #marijagimbutas #oldeurope #goddess #ancientgreece #circledance #hora #choros #kore #hades #persephone #pomegranate #haraldhaarmann #greekmythology #demeter #motherearth
The Odyssey is a well known ancient classic of world literature. It is usually compared to the Iliad, also an epic poem. Epic literary works such as these portray heroes and their valiant deeds. Are the Odyssey and the Iliad genuinely Greek works? T
The Odyssey is a well known ancient classic of world literature. It is usually compared to the Iliad, also an epic poem. Epic literary works such as these portray heroes and their valiant deeds. Are the Odyssey and the Iliad genuinely Greek works? The question may seem odd to most people. After all, these epics are considered specifically as part of the Greek literary canon. But in the case of the Odyssey it's not quite so simple, and new studies have provided surprising results. There is reason to contest the Odyssey's Greek origins, as new evidence indicates that it stems from Old European tradition instead. Read more on our blog🌊🧜‍♂️🔱 Direct link in story / Link in bio: Welcome➡️Blog➡️Where is Odysseus from? Old European tradition in world literature #epic #odyssey #odysseus #archaeomythology #amisuomi #iameurobranch #danubecivilization #marijagimbutas #oldeurope #ancientgreece #linguistics #haraldhaarmann #mythology #greekmythology
"When speaking of Western civilization, one traditionally thinks of the influence of Ancient Greek language and culture. However, according to new research, these conservative perspectives should be revised. It should be noted that many Old Euro
"When speaking of Western civilization, one traditionally thinks of the influence of Ancient Greek language and culture. However, according to new research, these conservative perspectives should be revised. It should be noted that many Old European achievements, together with their terminology, have influenced European culture – and thus also Finnish culture – in the guise of the Greek language." "Finns grow herbs and spices in their gardens such as oregano, cumin, sage, anise hyssop, mint and basil. The names of these plants have been traced back to Ancient Greek. For example cumin became a Finnish word (kumina) through many stages: Gr. kyminon; Lat. cuminum; Middle Saxon komin; Old Swedish kumin; Modern Swedish kummin. However, as traditional research extends back to Ancient Greek, it's only halfway there. Even the Greek kyminon is actually a loanword from the Old European language. Historical linguistic studies have shown that many Finnish learned borrowings, adopted from Swedish, originate from the cultural circle of Old Europe. Loan words that have traveled great distances and taken root in Finnish belong to many areas of civilization. Such words include "aromi" (aroma), "ankkuri" (anchor), "hymni" (hymn), "kamiina" (stove), "keramiikka" (ceramics), "metalli" (metal), "myytti" (myth), "oliivi" (olive), "teatteri" (theatre), "viini" (wine), as well as derivatives of the Greek word psykhe, such as "psyyke" (psyche) and "psyykkinen" (psychic)." 🌱📃Read the full text on our blog. Link in bio (Welcome➡️Blog➡️Research reveals Old European origins of Finnish learned borrowings). Direct link in story.📃🌱 #archaeomythology #amisuomi #iameurobranch #marijagimbutas #danubecivilization #oldeurope #ancientgreece #etymology #culturalhistory #haraldhaarmann #linguistics #loanwords #greeklanguage
Division of labor and cooperation between men and women in Old European society Tasks were divided based on skills and circumstances: 🏺Some fields such as ship-building or metal casting were predominantly male, while others such as ceramics, invol It is a common perception that writing was invented by the Sumerians, and that it spread from Mesopotamia to the rest of the world. However, new studies on the history of writing point elsewhere. According to these, the innovation which revolutionize Who is PhD Harald Haarmann? Here's a little info and a peek behind the scenes! Harald Haarmann is a former professor with a long-standing career in the groundbreaking field of multidisciplinary research on the civilization of Old Europe. Haarmann ha "Few are aware of how enlightened this period of cultural history really was. Many Old European achievements were the first in world history. The plow, the potter’s wheel, metallurgy, the art of writing, literacy and a system for recording Old European civilization flourished already in 6000 BCE, nearly two thousand years before the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Its cultural sphere included the regions which are today the Balkans, Greece and Western Ukraine. Economic Did you know that Old European civilization flourished already in 6000 BCE, nearly two thousand years before the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt? Few are aware of this civilization and even fewer are aware how enlightened this period o "The idea and practice of peaceful communal life prevailed in Old Europe. But didn't Old European culture and cosmology wane as the steppe nomads wandered into Southeastern Europe during the Bronze Age, causing much social upheaval? The nomads d "The most important celebration was a religious festival called Thesmophoria, organized exclusively for women in honor of the goddess Demeter. Demeter's name consists of two elements: de "earth", which is an Old European loan word, and The Odyssey is a well known ancient classic of world literature. It is usually compared to the Iliad, also an epic poem. Epic literary works such as these portray heroes and their valiant deeds. Are the Odyssey and the Iliad genuinely Greek works? T "When speaking of Western civilization, one traditionally thinks of the influence of Ancient Greek language and culture. However, according to new research, these conservative perspectives should be revised. It should be noted that many Old Euro