First Temperate Neolithic

A term sometimes used to describe the earliest farming cultures in the temperate zone of Europe (and sometimes in other areas). In southeast Europe from c 5400-4500/4300 BC, there was the Starcevo (eastern and northern Yugoslavia), Körös (eastern and southwest Hungary), Cris (west and lowland Rumania), Kremikovci (northwest Bulgaria), and Karanovo (central and southern Bulgaria). The regional groups are differentiated by their individual painted wares, but the group of cultures is unified by non-ceramic traits such a miniature polished bone spoons, fired clay lip-plugs, rod-head figurines, and stamp seals. The vast majority of early FTN sites are located in the major river valleys of the Balkans, either as tell settlements or as short-lived flat sites. Hoe or digging-stick agriculture combined with cattle husbandry was the economic base of most FTN settlements.

[FTN]. Generic term for the earliest farming cultures in the temperate zone of Europe (and sometimes applied in other areas also). In southeast Europe from c5400-4500/4300 be the following regional groups have been identified: StarCevo (eastern and northern Yugoslavia), KOrOs (eastern and southwest Hungary), Cri§ (west of lowland Rumania), Kremikovci (northwest Bulgaria) and Karanovo (central and southern Bulgaria). While the regional groups are differentiated by their individual painted wares, the whole FTN group is unified by non-ceramic traits such as miniature polished stone axes, slotted antler sickles, polished bone spoons, fired clay lipplugs, rod-head figurines and stamp seals. The vast majority of early FTN sites are located in the major river valleys of the Balkans, either as tell settlements (in Macedonia and south Bulgaria) or as short-lived flat sites (other areas). Hoe or digging-stick agriculture combined with cattle husbandry forms the economic base of most FTN settlements.