ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Prehistoric Balkans

The prehistoric Balkans were a long time ago when humans were just starting to live in communities and make tools. Imagine being a little kid and playing with blocks or Legos. Back then, people had to make their own blocks and Legos out of things like wood, stone and bones.

The Balkans are a region in Europe that looks kind of like a big triangle. Lots of people have lived there throughout history, even before there were countries like we have now. Some of the first people who lived in the Balkans were called the Neolithic people.

The Neolithic people were early farmers who learned how to grow crops like wheat and barley. They also started to raise animals like sheep and goats. This was a big change from the way their ancestors lived, where they hunted and gathered wild plants and animals.

The Neolithic people also created some really cool things like pottery, jewelry, and tools. Imagine making a clay pot, painting it, and then cooking your dinner in it. That's what the Neolithic people did!

Some of the most famous things from the prehistoric Balkans are the stone monuments called megaliths. Megaliths are big rocks that are arranged in certain patterns. You might have seen something like this at a playground where they have big rocks to climb on. The Neolithic people made megaliths to mark important places like tombs or places where they had celebrations.

So, to sum it up, the prehistoric Balkans were a long time ago when early farmers lived there and made things like pottery, jewelry, and tools. They also built big rock monuments called megaliths to mark important places.