Archaic period in Greece
The
archaic period in Greece is the period during which the
ancient Greek city-states developed, and is normally taken to cover roughly the
9th century to the
6th century BCE.
The Archaic period followed the
dark ages, and saw significant advancements in
political theory, and the rise of
democracy,
philosophy,
theatre,
poetry, as well as the revitalisation of the written language (which had been lost during the
dark ages).
The period takes its name from what, in
art history, was considered the archaic or old-fashioned style of sculpture and other works of art/craft that were characteristic of this time — as opposed to the more natural look of work made in the following
Classical period (see
Classical sculpture).
During the Archaic Period (8th century - 6th century), new political structures started to be formed. As the Greek population grew, the "oikos" or households of Kings, which dominated the political structure of the Dark Ages, started to transform into what is referred to as the "polis" or city-state.
*
Archaic period: society, economy, politics, culture — The Foundation of the Hellenic World
*
The Archaic Period of Greek Art – Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia
*
Ancient Greece: The Archaic Period — by Richard Hooker
