What was Europe like before the Indo-Europeans?

Question

What languages did they speak? What was their belief systems? What ethnicities were they? Do any survive besides the Basques? Are there any surviving cities?

Answer 1

Welcome to the world of early proto-Indo-European! I highly suggest the book To Fetch Some Golden Apples as a source of information on this topic. It was used by a professor of mine during undergrad as a textbook due to its extensive nature. The book follows the language path of proto-Indo-European as well as the mythologies that follow each group of people, including the many overlapping stories! As far as language we see a variety of developments. Proto-Indo-European was a language in it of itself. We also see Anatolian between Greece and North India. Indo-Aryan between north Syria and the Mitanni's (c. 1600 -1500.) Linear-B, Italic, Messapic, Celtic, Germanic, Thracin, Dacian, Illyrian, Phrygian and so many more. Chapter 3 of the book starting at page 25 is the best reference to this information. As far as ethnicities, this is quite a debate in community. The chapter continues to discuss the "homeland solutions" of understanding who were the people around at this time. Generally speaking there were people all over the land mass that dispersed across the globe. They were all ethnicities, they are the basis of ethnicity. The idea that none of them exist is wrong. These were the first people that evolved to create the "ethnicities" we see today. These people made their way to Iberia and interacted with Asia. These people created Latin. These people started the project that is humanity. They are all still here today. There is archaeological evidence of many proto-Indo-European civilizations which is how we know they existed. Consider Egypt. They've been around since the start and the city still stands and flourishes.