Ethnicity of Ancient Balkans and the Sea Peoples Iurii Mosenkis Names of Paleo-Balkan peoples and the Sea Peoples point to their origin and the ways of ancient peopling and migrations.
Paleo-Balkan peoples and languages Paleo-Balkan group of languages may be divided into four sub-groups: GreekMacedonian-Phrygian, Armenian, Thracian, and Illyrian-Albanian. The group possibly correlated with Baden-Kostolac-Coţofeni-Cernavodă III-Ezero level of the ‘Baden cultural circle’ (late 4th – early 3rd m. BCE), perhaps including Usatove. Among these cultures, Kostolac might be Illyrian-Albanian (Vučedol-related Remedello – Messapian), Coţofeni > Budzhak (an ancestor of Armenian Novotitorovka > Catacomb and Phrygian Multi-Rolled > Sabatynivka) – Armenian (similar to Tocharian in some features) or Armenian-Phrygian, Ezero (related to Troy I–II) – Greek or Greek-Macedonian. M. Gimbutas identified Sitagroi IV and V, Troy I–II, Iortan, Alishar as akin to Ezero and variants of the Ezero culture as a part of Baden-Ezero 1. Beycesultan XIX–XVII was also related2. L. S. Klejn suggests the Baden invasion in Troy II; Troy IIg was destroyed and burnt, possibly by Luwians (Mellaart) Ezero, close to Baden and partially traced to previous Kodjadermen-GumelniţaKaranovo in pottery, preceded related Troy I–II and influenced MMIa Crete during XI – early XII Dynasties of Egypt and the First Babylonian dynasty 3. It might be a source of Thracian-like satem elements in Crete. An absolute dating might be taken from linguistic-archeological comparison: s > h was in Greek, Phrygian, Armenian, Messapian (but not Illyrian), Iranian, and Lycian. Indo-Iranian Fatyanovo-Balanovo and then Abashevo (of Corded Ware origin), with a participance of Middle Dnieper with clear Aryan symbolic, gave Indo-Aryan Sintashta-Petrovka-Arkaim-Andronovo (from XXII c. BCE) and Iranian Timber Grave (from early 2nd m. BCE). It was corded/warior stratum while Globular Amphora might represent priest stratum. Timber Grave couldn’t be a source of Greek-PhrygianArmenian shift because it is so late, but earlier Poltavka (R1a, from 2700 BCE), an ancestor of Timber Grave, is a good pretendent. Catacomb might be also the first Iranian (cord ornament, catacombs in Iran contemporaneous with Ukrainian ones, from early 3rd m. BCE) or Armenian. Novotitorovka and Multi-Rolled, closely related to Catacomb, might be Armenian and Phrygian while the Lycian feature might be of Phrygian origin. Greek might also accept the feature from Phrygian Multi-Rolled in the 17 th c. BCE or even from its ancestor, Budzhak. Perhaps, s / h alternation in Gutian (Sarlagab/Iarlagab, from late XXIII 1 Гимбутас М. Цивилизация Великой Богини: мир Древней Европы (М. 2006), с. 417. 2 http://arheologija.ru/drevnie-kulturyi-vostochnogo-sredizemnomorya-i-maloy-azii/ 3 Катинчаров Р. В. Ранний бронзовый век Фракии.., Кавказ в системе палеометаллических культур Евразии (Тбилиси 1987), с. 168–178, http://annales.info/bronza/small/katin.htm , cf.: Мерперт Н. Я. Древнейшие каменные крепости Болгарии, Новое в археологии (Москва 1972), с. 46–55, http://annales.info/blacksea/small/bolgar.htm