The Spread Of Agriculture From The Middle East to Europe Between 9,600 & 3,800 BC

Map created by Detlef Gronenborn, Barbara Horejs, Börner, OberThe map above shows the diffusion of agriculture from Southwest Asia (the Fertile Crescent) to Europe between approximately 9,600 BCE and 3,800 BCE.

The different colors on the map represent regions with the approximate time periods during which agriculture was introduced, while the arrows indicate the likely diffusion routes.

Key Features of the Map:

1. Southwest Asian Core (Fertile Crescent) (9,600–8,200 BCE):
   • The earliest domestication of plants and animals started in the areas around as early as 9600 BCE. This region includes the Levant, Mesopotamia, and parts of modern Turkey.
   • Domesticated species included wheat, barley, and animals like sheep, goats, and cattle.
2. Expansion into Anatolia and Southeast Europe (8,200–6,500 BCE):
   • From the Fertile Crescent, agriculture spread into Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) around 8,200 BCE, and further westward into the Balkans and Greece by 6,500 BCE.
   • Arrows indicate multiple routes by which agricultural techniques diffused: across the Aegean Sea, through the Balkans, and via coastal Mediterranean routes.
3. Spread into Central Europe (6,000–5,400 BCE):
   • By 6000 BCE, farming practices had spread northward into what is now the Balkans and the central parts of Europe, including regions like Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.
   • The expansion continued into more temperate regions, with the adoption of farming in areas of present-day Germany, Austria, and Poland by about 5,400 BCE.
4. Spread to Western Europe (5,800–5,000 BCE):
   • Agriculture reached Italy, southern France, Spain, and Portugal around 5,600 BCE.
   • In the same period, farming began spreading further north into regions of Northern France and Germany.
5. Northern and Western Europe (4,100–3,800 BCE):
   • Farming reached regions that now make up parts of England and Scandinavia and the northern European plain by 4000 BCE. The map shows dates for these areas, indicating the gradual spread of agriculture into cooler climates and less fertile lands.
   • The final date is the spread of agriculture into Ireland by 3,800 BCE.

Diffusion Routes:

• Maritime Routes: Some arrows indicate the spread of agriculture via coastal and maritime routes across the Mediterranean Sea. These routes would have facilitated the diffusion of crops and livestock into southern Europe.
• Land Routes: Other routes indicate movement through the Balkans and Central Europe, where early farming societies moved into new areas, either by migrating or through cultural diffusion.

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