Danubian culture facts for kids

The Danubian culture is a name given to the first farming societies in Central Europe and Eastern Europe. An archaeologist named Vere Gordon Childe first used this term. It includes several important early farming groups like the Linear Pottery culture (also called LBK), the stroked pottery culture, and the Rössen culture.

The First Farmers of Europe

The Linear Pottery culture began around 5500 BC. These early farmers slowly moved westwards, following the Danube River valley. They even reached the Paris Basin in France, where they met other cultures from Atlantic Europe.

Life in Danubian I Communities

The people of the first Danubian period (Danubian I) were skilled farmers. They cleared forests and grew crops on fertile soils called loess. These areas stretched from the Balkans all the way to the Low Countries (like the Netherlands) and the Paris Basin.

They made a special kind of pottery called LBK pottery. They also raised farm animals such as cows, pigs, dogs, sheep, and goats.

Tools and Homes

A very important tool for these people was the shoe-last celt. This was a long, thin stone adze. It was mainly used to cut down trees. Sometimes, these adzes were also used in conflicts.

Danubian settlements were made up of large buildings called longhouses. These longhouses were big enough for several families to live in together.

Historians have different ideas about these settlements. Some think that people might have left their settlements when the land became less fertile. They would then return after the land had rested for a while. Others believe that the settlements were always lived in, with different families using their own plots of land.

The Danubian people also traded for special items. For example, they brought spondylus shells from the Mediterranean Sea. These shells were often used to make jewelry.

Later Danubian Cultures

After the first phase, new styles appeared. Around 4500 BC, a second group of Danubian cultures emerged. They used pottery that had painted designs, showing influences from Asia.

Later, a third group developed. They are known for their pottery decorated with special stroke patterns, called stroke-ornamented ware.

Where to Find Danubian Sites

Some important places where archaeologists have found Danubian remains include:

• Bylany in the Bohemia region of the Czech Republic
• Köln-Lindenthal in Germany