The ethnic background of Giji people in Pelaz is unknown, and they seem to belong to non-Indo-European Mediterranean nations. Some scholars believe that they are close to ancient peoples, such as Iberians and Etruscans. Thucydides said directly that the people of Pelaz "belong to the Tyrrhenian", that is, the people of Eta Lasquin. From some murals left by Crete civilization, it can be seen that its local residents are "slim and dark-skinned" and "dark-haired Mediterranean descent", which may have originated in North Africa. Homer's epic mentioned that there were many ethnic groups in ancient Crete, including "brave Perazghi". If, as speculated, Pelaz Chi-jen and Carians participated in the creation of Crete civilization, then their physical characteristics should probably be consistent with it. The distribution of Pelaz Giti is still quite broad. They live in parts of the Greek mainland and Aegean Islands today, and most of them have gradually merged with the Greeks. As mentioned above, some Pelaz Ji people who have settled in the interior of the Balkans (located in the north) may eventually mix with Illyrians.
In the process of ancient Illyrians going south into the Balkans, another people they came into contact with were Thracians. Thracians are different from Peraski, and it is certain that the language they speak belongs to Indo-European family. Their physical features are not directly recorded in historical books, but it is said that Thracians claimed that their gods were "blue eyes and red hair". Ancient nations generally shaped their spiritual idols according to their appearance, so it should not deviate too much from the typical image of Europa with red hair and beautiful eyes to infer the racial and physical characteristics of Thracians. Thracians were another very active ethnic group in the ancient Balkans. Generally speaking, their geographical location is in the east, "located in the east of Moravia Valley, extending from the Aegean Sea to the north of the Danube", that is, extending from the middle of the Balkan Peninsula to the northeast, while a few Thracians live in the northwest of Asia Minor. In fact, the distribution of Thracians in the Balkans was as far as the Adriatic Sea earlier, that is to say, it covered the territory of Yugoslavia and Albania today. Illyrians moved late, and they drove the Thracians eastward to the middle of the Balkans.
Some people set the time when the Illyrians drove the Thracians eastward at about 1300 BC. However, it is generally believed that at least before 1 100 BC, the land west of the Aksu River was occupied by Illyrians, and since then, Illyrians have become the protagonists of historical activities in this area. However, the Thracians also attacked in the opposite direction. Around 650 BC, the Thracians invaded the Balkans together with the nomadic Simerians living on the northern shore of the Black Sea, which greatly shook the position of the Illyrians and caused their internal division. In fact, the Thracians also left a certain historical influence in the Western Balkans. Their descendants still live on individual islands off the coast of Albania, and Thracians may live next to Illyrians, "even forming mixed residential areas in some neighboring places". Because there are still some Thracian words in Albanian today, some linguists think that "Albanian is a sub-language of Thracians" and some linguists think that "Albanian is a mixture of Illyrian and Thracian." Nevertheless, on the whole, Illyria still plays a dominant role in the formation of Albanian nationality, language and culture. The pre-democracy of Albanians was mainly Illyrian, and Albanian was mainly developed from ancient Illyrian, but it did not rule out that some Thracians and Thracian culture might be integrated. Only the specific time when Illyrians and Thracians merged in this area is still different.
Due to the lack of ancient European cultural relics, it is a useful attempt to describe the history of its residents from the perspective of linguistics. It seems that people can judge the kinship between languages of the ancient Indo-European family and explore the possibility of primitive ethnic division.
Compared with other European languages, the direct materials of Illyrian are extremely scarce. However, the existence of this language is a fact after all, which can be proved by some notes left in Greek literature and names and places. What is certain now is that Illyrian is indeed an Indo-European language family. For example, a comparative analysis of such a word shows that the name of Teuta, Queen of Illyria in the 3rd century BC, and the name of Teuta, a tribe with the same name, are obviously related to the following Indo-European vocabulary. Such as th ("man") in old Irish, tud ("country, land") in Welsh, touto ("man") in old Scottish, totam ("ordinary man") in Umbrian, pj ("man") in old Norse and pē od ("man") in old English. It is believed that they all originated from the Indo-European word teutéhа_.
It is generally believed that Illyrian is extremely ancient. Although it is often classified as centum in the original Indo-European language, just like the ancient Central Asian northeast language B, it "belongs to an ancient form of Indo-European language, which may be earlier than the obvious separation (satem) between K and S" It is speculated that Illyrian may be similar to Aegean or "Pelaz Ji" which forms the basis of Greek. However, in terms of the more ancient background of language history, some people advocate looking north, pointing out that "Illyrian is closely related to the Baltic language family; This relationship is much closer than that with Greek and Latin. It is even thought that there is "lexical consistency" between Albanian (the only remnant of ancient Illyrian) and Finnish-Ugric today. It was also mentioned that the Sudetenland and East Germany also had toponyms derived from Illyrian. If the above viewpoint can be established, we might as well imagine the general flow of Illyrian language: this language and its speakers may first exist in Northeast Europe near the northern shore of the Black Sea, the base camp of Indo-European language family, and they are closely related to the ancient Baltic language family and influence each other; Later, it seemed to move westward, stopping briefly in today's East Germany and Bohemia, moving to Central Europe, staying here for a long time, and then entering the Balkans south. Illyrians evacuated from the area north of the Danube and moved southward on a large scale. The reason is still unknown. It may be caused by the pressure from other foreign people, including grassland people. Illyrians flowed into the Balkans and came into contact with the language influence of Thracians, Aegean people or Pelaz geeks. Therefore, the various heterogeneous factors contained in Illyrian language are only the result of its foreign exchange and absorption under different time and space conditions.
To what extent was the ancient Illyrian language used? There are still different opinions in academic circles. According to the research of German linguist Hans Clogher, it seems to have spread to the Balkans, southeastern Italy, Saxony, Poland, Hungary, and even the area near Troy in West Asia. However, this argument has not been generally accepted. Some people argue that some central European place names that Clogher pays attention to are considered to belong to Illyrian, which is probably an old European language belonging to Indo-European family. At present, it is relatively certain that the areas with the most obvious influence of Illyrian are basically concentrated in the Balkans, and the southern and northern ends of Italy are slightly backward. Illyrians are thought to have survived until the 5th or 6th century AD at the latest.
Illyrian has no words, but is known through some notes and loanwords left by other languages. For example, Latin words such as liburna (warship) and panis (bread) come from Illyrian. The Celts also borrowed the Illyrian language, "not only borrowed the iron of the Illyrians, but also borrowed the name of this new metal." It has also been noticed that the place names in Illyrian often contain suffix elements _nt_, _st_ and _on_, such as Carnuntum in Danube Valley (near Petronel in Austria today), Tarantum in South Italy (now taranto) and Gist in Estella. The form of _on_ is found in Illyria and Pelaz Kyrgyzstan, such as Tatano, a famous religious center in Pirus, located in Salona on the Dalmatian coast near Split.
Due to the lack of historical materials, people know little about the social system of Illyrians. It is speculated that its primitive commune system gave way to class society around the 5th century BC. Modern Albanian scholars believe that Spartan slavery has emerged in Ardian. Dadani people also plundered slaves by conquering wars and distributed them among them. But generally speaking, the social development of Illyrians in different places is not balanced, and there are also many tribes "without slavery" during this period. Some people think that the emergence of state organizations and the hereditary of kingship seem to have existed in the first 4th century. On the other hand, Albanian scholars pushed it to the 5th century, saying that their names were originally Celtic place names [see Courtland Camby's Encyclopedia of Historical Place Names, new york, 1984 edition, 157 page, article "Karongtoum"]. In addition, it is said that this place was originally a mixed place of Illyrians and Celts.
It is believed that a kingdom appeared among the Enkili and Taoran people at that time. At present, it is relatively certain that the kingdom of Illyria centered on Skodra was established by Aldis Anren in the 3rd century BC. It had a certain influence in history and was destroyed by Rome after the Illyrian War and the Macedonian War.
Through archaeological excavations, we can roughly infer the economic and social living conditions of Illyrians at that time. They are engaged in agricultural production, planting wheat, millet, apples, grapes and beans, and taking animal husbandry as an important source of income. Today, many iron or bronze wares were found in Albania, including pickaxe, sickle, hand axe, hammer, shield, spear, sword, knife, nail, chains and so on. There are also gold and silver earrings, rings, belt buckles, bracelets and badges, all of which show the craftsmanship of Illyrians. They mined rock salt and found shovels, salt barrels, lighting sawdust and so on. Mining salt mines in Austria. In Dalmatia, mining iron ore has a long tradition. Illyrians also began to mass-produce pottery, and the pottery binaural utensils found in archaeological excavations were very unique in shape. The craft of Illyrians is obviously influenced by the styles of Greeks and Etruscans, but on the whole, their craft is far less than the latter, and it is still suspected of being inferior. Illyrians have been able to build castles with large stones, and such ancient city ruins culture is widely distributed in Yugoslavia today, such as Castellier culture. Libl/Libl, a member of the Illyrian people, was once famous for being good at sailing and shipbuilding, because they lived near the Adriatic Sea. According to Hecataeus, Libini men wear thick wool shirts with big cuffs, which are called "Mundier", while their women wear a kind of "Sheromaktra" similar to headscarves or veils. In the 9th century BC, the Libni people once became the first maritime power in the Adriatic Sea. The ship they built is called "Liebner", which has only one deck, and the oars are fixed under the ship. It can sail in most weather conditions, with good wind and wave resistance, strong maneuverability, simple operation and fast speed, and can catch up with various merchant ships. Libl Na people often use it for robbery at sea. Illyrian pirates, who once roamed the sea in Roman times, had no fewer than 220 warships at the peak. In view of the many advantages of Illyrian ships, the Greeks and Romans began to imitate them. Later, the main ship type of the Roman navy, the "Libnia", was actually slightly modified on the basis of the "Liebner". With sufficient means and ability of maritime communication, Illyrians began to establish trade networks with the outside world, often communicating with Mediterranean countries, first with Phoenicians, Romans and Greek cities, and their export commodities were famous for their salt. According to the information of Bostonius, strabo mentioned that there is an organization of manual handling and inland river transportation among Illyrians, which is dedicated to transporting goods from Aquilea, a colonial city established by the Romans at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea, to the Savos River (now sava river) and the Danube region.
Little is known about the religion and mythology of Illyrians, except that they are similar to other Indo-European peoples and belong to a complete system. Indo-Europeans originally originated from the grassland people on the north shore of the Black Sea, and their main economic life was animal husbandry. They used horses very early and invented transportation. Worship of the sun and gods is the religious feature of grassland people. Under the guidance of the sun, the moon and the stars, people look for directions on the vast grasslands, thus seeking superhuman strength. In the ancient myths of Europe and India, the sun was vividly depicted as a big disk dragged by a horse. This symbol of sun worship is usually associated with humanoid gods or the king of the world. This is probably the supremacy of men, that is, the god of the sky, which is common in Oss and Indo-European languages. He often appears in the image of Deiuos Pat. Although the names of Indo-European languages are slightly different, the stems are all the same. For example, Indians call it Dyaus pitar, Greeks call it Zeus pater, Romans call it Iupater and Diespiter, Italian umbria calls it IU Pater, Illyria calls it Deipaturos or daipatres, and Aureliano, a military emperor born in Illyria in the late Roman Empire, strongly advocates national worship of Sol, the sun god. This is his "god of private service", which was originally the "most respected god" in the Illyrian garrison on the Danube. I'm afraid it comes from his traditional national religion. Judging from the names of Ner-/Nor- related to Mother Earth or Goddess of Abundance in Indo-European language family, the gods of Illyrians are similar, such as Nerthus in Germans, Neria and Neriena in Sabine, Italy, and Noreia in Illyrians.
As a big nation in the Balkans, the Illyrians have complicated internal relations. In fact, they are made up of many tribes and branches, large and small. People call themselves by the names of their tribes, while the Greeks and Romans give them the general term "Illyrians". Some Greek and Roman writers have noticed that there are different branches between Illyrians and tried to explain their origins. Appian mentioned in his History of Rome that Illyria, the legendary ancestor of Illyria, had six sons: Nkilias, Otalli Assi, Dadanas, Midus, Dollas and Pachibas, and other daughters barto, Odoto and Dasero. Appian believed that their descendants formed some branches of Illyrians: Taulantii/Taulantians/Tallanii, Perrhaebi, enche lees/enchelaee, Otalians (Ataturk or Antalya in Autari, Translation of autariens/autariateae/Antariatee), Dadani (Dardani), Partheni (Partheni/Parthini), Dassaretii/Dassaritaie (Dassaretii) and Darsii. We now know that Enkili people live in the upper reaches of Linde River and north of Lake Ohrid, and their ruling family probably originated from the descendants of Cadmus and Harmonia (daughters of Ares and Aphrodite), the founders of Thebes in Greek legend. The Otalli people mainly lived in the Tara River, a tributary of drina river, and then gradually expanded. Batini area may be centered on Ba Zhuo Ke and has made important archaeological achievements. Taoran people are distributed in today's central Albania from the Mati River to the Hikumbi Valley. Dadani people, also known as Daldanians, are generally distributed in Upper Mercia (now southeast Yugoslavia). But with the same name as the Dadani mentioned in Homer's epic, the Dadani people live in the northwest of Asia Minor and are said to be descendants of the Trojan royal family. Some people even speculate whether this ethnic branch may be related to an ancient ethnic migration from the hinterland of the Balkans.
It is said that the people of Pacey are Thracians.
Albany, an Illyrian tribe living along the Adriatic Sea. There are also Celidoni (Chelidonii/Chelidones, or today's Kukes) and Sesarethii who live in the middle and upper reaches of the Linde River in Albania, and Abri people live in the northwest and coastal areas (Abri). Corapi's Corapi Yani/Colapani centered on Sissia (now Sziszak) in the Savos River basin 1 century Broussy (Breuci) who launched an anti-Roman uprising lived in Amanti, Pannonia, and Daorizi and Deses (distributed in Dina) in Dalmatia, azari (Amantini). Today, Andizetes in Croatia (living in the south of Zagreb), Kates in korner (east of Slavonia) and Catalli in Slovenia (Catalli Yasi (Yasi/Yasi), Melcu Man (Mani, Melcu), Oseliates (Oseliates), Peresta (Peresta/Penesta), Prilai (Ple Aray), and Prila. Nowadays, beria people in the north of the Osum River in southern Albania, Latobic people in the southwest of Pannonia, and Brygi/Bryges people living in northern Macedonia are often called Illyrians.
The above branches roughly constitute the main part of the Illyrians. The western Balkans, where they lived intensively, got its name, including what the Greeks called "Iliris" and what the Romans later called "Ililikum".
In addition, with the outward migration and infiltration of Illyrians, there are still some noteworthy ethnic groups living at the intersection of them and other ethnic groups in the Balkans, or some branches of Illyrians are separated from the main body, or to some extent mixed with other ethnic groups around them. For example, the Apulian people in southern Italy, the Veneti people in the foothills of the Alps in northeastern Italy, the Reti people who may have some kinship with them, the Kani people in mountainous areas with complex backgrounds and different opinions, and the Taolisi people in Uris. Pannoni people who are active in the Danube River basin, Paang people or Paeonia people with different names, and residents of Pirus area with complex backgrounds. All need to be sorted out and studied carefully. Illyrians have a lot of contact with other residents of the Mediterranean world, especially the classical societies of Greece and Rome, and they influence each other and have different opinions. Limited to space, the author will repeat it in another article, so I won't repeat it here.
The so-called Iliris of the Greeks only refers to the areas directly adjacent to the Greek colonial city-states along the southern bank of Pirus, Macedonia and Adriatic Sea, that is, the northern and central areas north of the Osum River in Albania today. The Roman Ililikum had a wide range, including most parts of Yugoslavia today.
Even after entering the recorded historical period, there have been numerous ethnic migration activities of different scales in Europe, and many people have been involved in them, leaving their own cultural footprints in different regions. Compared with those ethnic groups who have traveled long distances, Illyrians have a relatively limited range of galloping. As mentioned above, except in a certain period in ancient times that we are not sure about, the ancestors of Illyrians may have joined the westward migration from the ancestral homes of Indo-Europeans in the inland of Eastern Europe, but once they settled in the Western Balkans, their status was relatively stable. If we don't consider the part extending to the north and south, the main part of the Illyrians will basically not move and split over a long distance, and their status as masters of the western Balkans has been maintained for a long time. It was not until the rise of classical civilization, especially since the 3rd-2nd century BC, that the relatively independent ancient culture and its activity areas of Illyrians were constantly eroded and romanized to varying degrees, and in the process, they rushed into a new historical journey.