Here's a breakdown of the significant changes during this period:
Decline and Transformation:
* Collapse of Mycenaean Civilization: The powerful Mycenaean civilization, which dominated Greece during the Bronze Age, collapsed around 1100 BCE. The reasons are complex, but likely included climate change, invasion, and internal strife. This led to a period of widespread societal upheaval and disruption.
* Loss of Literacy: The Mycenaeans used a writing system known as Linear B. With the collapse of their civilization, this system largely disappeared, resulting in a decline in literacy and a gap in written records.
* Shift from Urban to Rural Life: The Mycenaean city-states were abandoned, and people moved to smaller, more rural settlements. This shift led to a more decentralized and less centralized society.
New Beginnings and Development:
* Emergence of the Proto-Greek Language: While the exact origins of the Greek language are debated, during the Dark Ages, a common language, proto-Greek, began to solidify, paving the way for the development of the various dialects that would later define the Greek language.
* Rise of the Polis: The term "polis" refers to the city-state, which emerged as the dominant form of political organization in Greece. While the Mycenaeans had cities, the polis developed new political structures and ways of life.
* Oral Tradition and Homeric Epics: With the decline of writing, oral traditions flourished. The stories of gods, heroes, and myths were passed down through generations and eventually became the basis for epic poems like the Iliad and the Odyssey, attributed to the blind poet Homer.
* Development of New Technologies: Despite the decline, people in the Dark Ages continued to develop new technologies, including improvements in iron working, pottery, and agriculture.
The "Dark Age" is a term of convenience, not a reflection of a period of complete stagnation. While there was a loss of written records and significant social upheaval, the Dark Ages also saw the development of new social structures, the emergence of the Greek language, and the foundations for the flourishing of Greek culture that would occur later.