Auf den Spuren der Indoeuropäer

For more than 3000 years, Indo-European languages have been spoken from India through Persia to Europe. What are the origins of this language family? How and when did the different branches of language emerge?

The renowned Indo-Europeanist Harald Haarmann vividly describes what we know today about the emergence of Indo-European languages and cultures and their early pathways of dissemination. He impressively connects linguistic findings with archaeological discoveries and the latest research in human genetics and climate history. Beyond linguistic affinities, he demonstrates the economic practices, social structures, and religious beliefs that the early speakers of Indo-European languages shared from the eastern Mediterranean to the Indus. Special attention is given to the processes of merging with pre-Indo-European languages and civilizations. This creates a fascinating panorama of early Indo-European globalization from the end of the last Ice Age to the early high cultures in Greece, Asia Minor, Persia, and India.