The Stone Age in Greece marks humanity’s earliest presence in the region, before the invention of writing. Our understanding comes mainly from archaeology and later myths, which means dates and details remain approximate.
The first inhabitants likely arrived tens of thousands of years ago from Africa through the Eastern Mediterranean and Anatolia. A hominid skull in the Petralona Cave (Halkidiki, c. 200,000 BC) is among the earliest evidence. By 50,000 BC, Neanderthals entered Greece during the Ice Age, settling in areas such as Thessaly and the Peloponnese. Around 40,000 BC, Homo sapiens (Cro-Magnon) appeared, eventually replacing Neanderthals—though how remains uncertain.
One of the most important sites is the Franchthi Cave, inhabited from about 20,000 BC to 3000 BC. It provides a continuous record of Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic life. Early people here were hunter-gatherers, living in small groups, using fire to cook food, and likely domesticating dogs for hunting.
The Paleolithic ended after the last Ice Age (c. 10,000 BC), giving way to the Mesolithic. As large animals disappeared, humans turned to smaller game, wild plants, and fishing, even venturing to sea in reed boats. Obsidian from Milos shows that sea trade existed as early as this time.
By 7000 BC, the Neolithic Revolution reached Greece. Agriculture (barley, oats, lentils) and animal domestication (sheep, goats) allowed permanent settlements. Key sites include Sesklo and Dimini in Thessaly, and Nea Nikomedeia in Macedonia. Houses were rectangular, often with clay ovens; some settlements had fortifications.