#octopus is out bc its not mains powered for some reason

[pebblethief]

there are so many lamps in this genre

[hezuart]

That anaversary aizen looks absolutely fabulous, he looks like a figure skater xd.

I heard along time ago the last arc of the anime was being animated finally bc they pulled a 90s sailor moon were the last season was not either animated or dubbed untill decades later.

I recall near the end of the current 366 episodes there was an episode were the creapy demon ppl woke up in hell and we're all bitter, and there was the other guy who was like, iM cOmEiNg FoR u IChIgO, but then is never mentioned again after and I'm like,why? Why is lt there just plopted randomly into a different arc that seams unrelated.

And locking aizen up underground seems ok, but It deff won't hold, and he will. Escape, and he will kill, you either need that one spell from star, dubbed, the darkest spell of moon the undaunted, a powerfull dark spell that killed immortal beings, that came from best character, eclipsa, the queen of darkness.

We need that.

Or stick him I'm crystal like eclipsa was in star. Is there no one who could trap him in ice or crystal for all eternity.

How about throw him into the centre of a volcano trapped and caged , forverr being killed by heat?

I assume there's space travel, send I'm into a black whole, were a black whole don't fuckin care if your immortal or fat, you will die

:3

Yes, I love anniversary Aizen. His original octopus-butterfly hollow design was ugly so I'm glad he's back to being the fashion icon he is.

Locking Aizen up underground once is one thing, doing it twice after saying he got more powerful by just sitting there, and he escaped to battle the Quincy Soul King God... is another. I think he should have escaped at the end of the Quincy arc. That is the only feasibility.

I heard the anime is coming back for the Quincy arc as well, but because of COVID its probably going to be delayed. (I'm not gonna watch it until the Rain section of the arc then I'm dipping out. I'm only here for Zangetsu)

and funny that you mention that hell scene in the manga :)

-> spoilers for the new BLEACH 73 page anniversary chapter / thoughts/critique on it

So hey you had a premonition! Syazel .... returned? And his hole is outside of his body??? for some reason???

(I didn't understand the explanation or why / how that happens and what that means for the hollow)

And my friend and I were laughing because out of ALL the things. Kubo could do in this anniversary. He gave Syazel his dick back after going to hell. That is iconic. (that's where his hole was located, and now that its not on his body ... well...) This is the funniest thing Kubo has EVER pulled. Kudos to you, sir.

The entire internet is freaking out over Ukitake being in hell. Honestly Kubo has done far worse, and we've established that Soul Society is a corrupt system that hasn't changed, so I'm not surprised he would pull something like this.

At the same time, Kubo 1. cheated his audience. 2. continues to prove me right that he cannot bring himself to kill his characters

1. Hollows who have commit murder in their human life are sent to hell. Syazel and Aaorniero are two of these hollows, and yet, when they are killed, there is NO gates of hell scene. We see them there later in the hell chapter (which was more of a promotion for the fourth movie and I didn't believe it would hold any merit)

But the same goes for Ukitake. We never see the gates of hell take him. What, was hell late? Did hell's gates get lost like an uber before picking him up? It's bull. Withholding such vital information from your audience, not showing the gates of hell when they should pick up this soul IMMEDIATELY is ... I mean its a lie. Kubo lied to his audience.

2. Now we are told powerful shinigami are sent to hell when they die. First of all that sounds like a security threat. Wouldn't shinigami want revenge for that? Or attempt to escape? Why would they still hold loyalty after being sent to a prison of eternal suffering?

Also "Yhwach and Aizen" were the only ones keeping Hell's gates closed is way too convenient and doesn't really make any sense. I feel like Aizen should have deliberately gone to hell to retrieve powerful shinigami / hollows for his army instead of keeping it /closed/.

This is definitely a Kubo-doesn't-know-what-he's-doing-and-is -making- stuff-up-as-he-goes, but it might have a pinch of merit because of previous plot lines.... but either way, there's some big plot holes here, but again, its Kubo, so I expected nothing less.

Again, he can't kill off his characters. He introduced zombification, he introduced immortality through the hougyoku, he has Orihime and Hachigen's reversal / rejection abilities. He brought back Luppi, friggen.... a character who's entire upper half of his body was incinerated. Like.... come on. No. He's dead, you can't bring him back like that. That's a cop out and just weird. You're taking away consequences and grief.

(Also Yamamoto and Unohana deserve to be in hell far over Ukitake, they've done some fcked up stuff in their pasts unlike him)

Also Kubo's favorite character is Mayuri, which.... you're allowed to have a favorite problematic character. But Keeping said character alive and bared from the consequences of abusing his daughter, murdering innocents, and experimenting on your own squad members? Nah. Nope. Kill him, Kubo. Kill this dude.

(his weird attachment to Mayuri is probably why he keeps bringing Syazel back, since Syazel is Mayuri 2.0, but Syazel is the bad guy who does face consequences for his actions while Mayuri is not)

~

Also, I'm certain Kazui and Orihime are going to be THRILLED that their precious husband/dad is going to hell when he dies :)

(I just... Rukia teased Ichigo about leaving Orihime at home. She teased him about having a house wife who he leaves all the chores to. Orihime had two panels. She checks on her son who promised he would be at home and sleep. Kazui fcking breaks his promise like it never mattered to him and JUMPS out the window after pretending to sleep in front of his mother. ... An 8 year old... alone... in the middle of the night.)

Orihime is abandoned. She is not invited to SS, she is not informed of what is going on, her son leaves her.... I...

Orihime is a side character. She doesn't matter anymore. She hasn't mattered for a long, long time.

A part of me is glad she had little screen time, since she tends to waste it, but another part of me is embroiled with rage.

I've even see people try to defend this. "Orihime and Ichigo can't be together ALL the time, that's an unhealthy relationship!" and I'm like guys... that's not the point. The point is Orihime is not part of Ichigo's other life. Any shinigami stuff from now on is none of her business. She's going to stay at home while Kazui and Ichigo go off and save the world. Ichigo is going to be fighting by Rukia and Renji while Orihime watches from the sidelines, or worse, doesn't even know what is going on with her husband and son. Orihime is going to be uninformed and abandoned, because she has not proven she is capable of fighting by their sides(go on, @ me. I will fight this. She's a failure.), and also because she prefers a human life over a dead one. Which is ironic, because she married a dead man. Ichigo is a shinigami, and he will be one forever. god forbid she ever meets his Zanpaktou. She would tremble in fear at the monsters her husband harbors in his soul, especially when she realizes they don't care about her and would rather see her dead. (Zangetsu would absolutely kill Orihime. Not sure about Kazui, but Orihime has not accepted Zangetsu, she does not like either of them, and the feeling is assuredly mutual.) frick now I want to make a comic about this

Also still frustrated over Zangetsu's shikai / bankai regression. Kubo once again lied to his audience. Ichigo has no bankai. How ridiculous is that? The main character of BLEACH doesn't have a bankai. Insulting.

(RIP to Chad. He doesn't exist anymore. He's just gone. No mention, no cameo. Gone.)

Kazui is a demon child. That character from the novels? Hikone? They're the same character. Literally same personality, same power level. Its worse because Kazui is a liar. He constantly goes behind his parents' backs. He can summon creepy fish and creepy eyeballs and open portals like is ANYONE aware of this? How has SS not kidnapped Ichigo's son and experimented on him / locked away his powers yet? All substitute shinigami require a reiatsu controlling / spy badge to keep them in line. Where is Kazui's? Or is he just a weird fullbringer?

I was worried Kubo was gonna try and pull a knock off Boruto but luckily he kept the focus on Ichigo and the others. But that being said, Ichika and Kazui are now just... sort of there? Kazui was kinda just.... having his own adventure that doesn't matter to the plot at hand, and Ichika had some nice characterization at first but she just hid behind her dad the whole time.

I have a feeling Kazui is gonna step in at the last minute or do some major behind the scenes thing that indirectly interferes with the main plot so no one will realize how powerful and dangerous he actually is. Its sad because Ichika is the superior character in personality and likability, but she clearly is not going to have a bigger part in this.

Ichigo having a normal life after everything still feels extremely boring and uncomfortable to me. Everyone's like 'I'm still bLEACH!" but.... BLEACH just... doesn't feel like BLEACH anymore. It hasn't for a while now.

~~~

There's two new shinigami characters. Didn't care for the girl, but the Sign Language kid who talks to animals is adorable ... however... he just reminds me of Chad, and I just... it hurts knowing Chad has essentially been deleted. Chad and Orihime are officially benched. They have chosen the human world, and Orihime has given Ichigo his spawn so she has no more use/purpose to him anymore... ////sigh

~~~

Also. This is claimed to be a new "arc". So is the BLEACH manga coming back? What is happening. I thought Kubo was tired and didn't want to do BLEACH anymore. I thought Shounen Jump cut him off. People made so many excuses for Kubo and why the past two arcs have been so badly written the past 6 years and now almost everything they've attempted to defend him with has been revoked.

BLEACH is going to continue to screw up its plot lines and characters, so Its probably best for it to stay dead but I've seen a lot of Kubo stans drooling over this content, they're desperate for BLEACH's return, but its already given out all its possible revelations. There's really nothing else to top here. It's just going to make things up as it goes along ,and I'm not really here for half-assed writing like that, especially since the damage of rushing the previous manga has already been done. Kubo and Shounen Jump are riding off a money nostalgia. None of this was planned.

Honestly though.... overall feeling of this chapter, not as bad as it could have been.

Syazel stole the spotlight, and he's my friend's favorite character, so that's all that really matters.

[kamino-ink]

Brawl | Lee Minho [Disney!au]

✧ Genre: Disney!au, fluff, cheesy as fuck Minho, suggestive bc its Minho how can I nOt-

✧ Summary: You’re not exactly the most interesting of people, at least not your eyes; but one of the biggest delinquents in town, the son of Ursula, insists on defending your honor no matter what.

✧ Word Count: 2.6k

✧ Want to read other parts of this series? Check out my masterlist!

                                         ✧

you weren’t the child of some important fairytale character, rather you were simply a normal citizen growing up as normally as anyone else

sure life was interesting enough watching the children of important figures in the land of fairytales and stories, but you preferred to mind your own business in the solitude of your home by the beach

you’d moved out from the main hub of town about a year ago, deciding that you didn't need to rely on the financial support of your parents after graduating

and even if you didn't say it, a lot of people who knew you personally were well aware that you were content with living in the town of magical or powerful beings; while others craved to leave the land in favor of exploring the rest of the world, it was essentially impossible

some of the founders of the land arranged a sort of plan to keep the coming generations safe from harm - if they were all trapped in one place, they couldn't harm innocent people outside of their realm or vice versa

so basically all of you were stuck on a single island, meant to inhabit it for generations to come

but none of you were allowed to ever leave the island, as doing so would alert normal humans of your existence; one could never trust their intentions

so while you were technically a child of a couple in the universe of Peter Pan, you didn't really care about your status

on the other hand, those who resided in the central part of town consisted mostly of the children of characters who played big roles in their stories; from Mulan to Merida, almost every character written down in the books had been cast into the real world so they could live in peace

so here you were, fresh out of the comfort of your parent’s home, sat sipping on some herbal tea to clear your sinuses by the beach

miniscule grains of sand snuck between your toes, but you didn't quite mind, choosing instead to let your body relax into the sand

you had come out here for a reason; to be free of the binds in town and live your own peaceful life of utter solitude

“Jisung you moron, I cannot believe that you got us kicked out again!”

“Listen Seungmin, its not my fault that they couldn't handle my bare-chested sexiness-”

“I am this close to hexing you, asshole. Just because your dad never wore a shirt in his goddamn life doesn't mean you need to be the same.”

it was mostly a life of solitude, not counting the occasional intruders who would freely walk down the shore of the beach just in front of your cozy hut

you recognized the pair arguing just feet away from yourself; they were the sons of Tarzan and Maleficent, respectively

oh my god if they're here, I bet that dickhead is here too-

“Morning, gorgeous. I was wondering when we’d pass by your... hut.” Lee Minho himself hummed with an amused smirk, his piercing gaze darting down to your more than exasperated expression

ah, Lee Minho was a peculiar case indeed. He was the only son of Ursula, having been born merely a month before the island founders transported everyone here

while most parents, good or evil, tried to make sure all of their children would get along with one another, it was as if Ursula had thrown that idea out the door and encouraged her son to do the things he did

he was enticing, owning a voice of gold that would make anyone’s heart to backflips if he spoke to them

he was also known to be one of the most cunning, strongest people on the island

Minho frequently picked fights on people of all shapes, sizes, and ancestry - he didn't give a flying fuck if you were the love-child of a famous prince and princess, he could and would initiate a brawl if he wanted to

while a good portion of the community looked at the man in distaste and fear, you knew he was a good man deep down

he only ever picked fights with people who really deserved it

for example, when a group of kids in high school had been making fun of Changbin’s parents since his dad was bisexual [in this day and age? wild] Minho was the first one to throw a punch, helping his friend beat the shit out of them

yeah they were suspended and nearly expelled, but from that day on you couldn't help but admire him in a sense

you’d grown up side by side, but since you weren’t too important, you weren’t really involved with anything the other big-leagues did

while Minho was captain of both the swim team and the dance team, you were usually found in the background, simply minding your own business

of course you felt an odd connection with the man, as well as other kids older than yourself and those born in the same year as you

all of you had been born before the transportation to the real world, and while the youngest included the likes of you and Minho both, just born months ahead of time - each of you wondered what life was like in the world of fairytales and fictional stories

but something inside your head convinced you to approach him all those years ago back in high school

you’d been watching him and the son of Cinderella since the start of their swim practice, admiring how easily he moved in the water

which was because he was practically made for it, considering his ancestry

“hey, Minho,” you’d called out to him, still leaning against one of the walls when he glanced over to you in surprise, “come here for a second.”

and he’d done just that, walking over to you in all his glory, water dripping down his bare chest and arms, his black hair wet but still somehow looking neat and presentable

“uh, hi?”

“could you - could you teach me how to fight?” you’d stuttered out to him in sheer panic, his own eyes twinkling in curiosity at your request

“I um - you see, well, I have to walk home alone after work most nights and it isn’t exactly... safe, I guess.” which isn't a lie, in all honesty

in the late hours of the night, you worked at a measly grocery store to get some easy cash, but having to walk home alone was incredibly scary

even though all of you had been, for the most part, raised in the human world, there were still low-life's and downright villainous people residing on the island

knowing that you could possibly run into someone like that alone with no way of defending yourself was a daunting thought

“yea, sure, why not.” Minho had agreed almost immediately, much to your surprise

ever since then, after school, the boy would drive you to the gym and train with you

whenever you got off of work he was right outside the front door where you would walk out, waiting so he could walk you home each night

you were a bit confused, since you had been training with him so you wouldn't feel defenseless by yourself - but he insisted on making sure you got home safely no matter what

over the years the two of you grew to be quite close, so much so that you'd been nominated prom king and queen

you still had the picture of you two dancing in celebration, red solo cups in hand as he had been in the middle of twirling you on the heels of your feet when the candid photograph had been taken

“What? Too distracted by my dashing good looks to talk?” He pressed on smugly, snapping his fingers just inches in front of your face to snap you out of your daydream

“In your dreams, Minho,” you retort with a roll of your eyes, accepting his hand lent out to help you stand from the sand you’d been sitting in, “I was just... thinking.”

“Ouch, that must hurt.”

“Shut it, octopus.” You hiss, flicking his forehead while Jisung and Seungmin made their way towards the two of you.

“Anywho, Chan is throwing some huge party tonight and invited you to come.” He informed you with a bit of bitterness to his tone, much to your amusement

it was painfully obvious how Minho had a... thing, for you, to say the least. while you didn’t know if it was a short-lived infatuation or genuine feelings, it was hilarious to witness him become jealous over the smallest things

like one time where Felix, the son of Belle, had been helping you with schoolwork in the library

his head was close to yours, bent down so he could quietly explain how to work out the difficult problems [what? he is a genius, so you didn't mind the younger boy helping you out at all]

then Minho had sauntered in, almost immediately spotting two of his closest friends so close together with the smart Felix whispering something to you

despite your protests, Minho had insisted that he help you instead, sending Felix away by reminding him that they had a dance competition in just a few days - the freckled boy had gasped and rushed out quickly to the studio just for some extra practice, trusting the older boy to help

needless to say, you had failed that assignment horribly

“aww, is little Minho jealous?” You asked him in a teasing tone, wiping off the remnants of sand from your sundress, making Jisung and Seungmin snicker behind you

the black haired man glared at you playfully, though his lips were curled into a pout

“Y/N, I am not jealous - oh, forget it, I was wondering if you wanted to come to town with us while we picked up some food and shit for the party.”

you shrugged, knowing full well that you didn't have anything else to do for the rest of the afternoon besides sitting in the sand or wading in the water

“Sure, just let me put on some shoes- Minho!” You squeaked in surprise when he doesn't even give you the chance to finish, as he’s easily picked you up and thrown you onto his back

you huffed and puffed at him, gently smacking his head as he lead your small group off the beach and up the path towards the main part of town, ignoring your squeals of protest the entire time

about an hour had passed and you were still stuck on Minho’s back, even after all that shopping and going through shops to find food

Jisung and Seungmin were walking just a few feet ahead of you two, carrying the light bags of food for the party in their hands while Minho lagged a bit behind them, his hands supporting your legs still wrapped around his waist

“Goddamn, look at that ass!”

“You think her boyfriend will get pissed if we snap a pic?”

you gawked in disbelief at what you were hearing, turning your head to see two younger boys cheekily winking at you

you had completely forgotten you were still wearing a sundress, and while your backside was protected by shorts, it still left little to the imagination

you felt Minho pause abruptly in his tracks just so he could slowly turn around and face your disgusting catcallers

“Say another word about my girl and I swear to god I’ll snap your limbs like twigs.” He threatens the mischievous boys lowly, his voice dead serious and intimidating

as if they were wanting a death wish, the pair of boys rolled their eyes and sent not-so-discreate winks to you, completely ignoring the boiling man carrying you

“Hey lady, if this weirdo isn’t giving you what you need, we can solve that problem for you.”

with a deep breath Minho gently slid you off of his back, pushing you behind him while Jisung and Seungmin made their way back to you two, clearly wondering what had happened to make their friend so eerily pissed

“You two shitheads need to learn some fucking respect,” the tall man growled in a growing fury, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides, “or would you like me to knock some common fucking sense into those empty brains of yours?”

“Alright alright, we’ll back off man.” One of them gave in with a roll of his eyes, holding his hands up in surrender as he started to lead his partner past you and the two boys still staring in curiosity

then, as they made their way past you, one of them reached out and squeezed your ass invasively, smirking at your gasp of shock and disgust

he didn't have time to even blink before Minho had swung at him so hard that he’d been knocked out

his friend looked back quickly, his eyes wide in fear at what just happened

if he decided to fight back, you were sure that Minho would turn the confrontation into an all out brawl

“Take him away before I decide to make the bastard bleed.” Minho growled, now standing in front of you protectively while the boy nodded comically fast, picking his friend up with one arm and waddling away

that night you decided not to go to the party - the confrontation from the shopping trip still had you a bit zoned out, and you knew that if you had gone you would've been too anxious with so many drunk, hormonal people crowded into one space

“Minho, you didn't have to stay with me.” You sigh to the man, glancing over to him and watching as he clenches his jaw, still clearly upset at the event earlier that day

you could tell that he blamed himself for whatever reason; he probably thought he could’ve prevented the sick guy from touching you, but none of you could’ve predicted that he would have acted so rashly anyway

“Too bad, princess, you're stuck with me.” He huffed back, not sparing you one look in fear that he might lose it and freak out about the incident again

you let out a deep, resounding sigh before you scoot closer to him on the stairs of your porch, resting your head on his shoulders comfortingly

you could feel one of his hands trailing up your bare thigh, his fingertips lazily tracing your skin as you both watched the ocean waves lap at the sandy shore of the beach

“Let me... let me be the only man who can touch you, Y/N.” Minho blurts out suddenly, though his voice is oddly serious and quiet

your cheeks heat up quickly at his blunt statement, though you can’t seem to comprehend exactly what he’s suggesting

“When that sicko touched you today, I was so close to ripping his head off. You didn't give him permission so that’s why -” he breaks off with a gulp, his fingers now squeezing your thigh, as if he was testing his boundaries, “that’s why I’m asking for your permission. Please, princess, let me touch you.”

you find yourself letting out a soft, nearly inaudible ‘okay,’ and within milliseconds the man has tilted your chin up with the pads of his fingers and thumb, his serious gaze boring into yours

“Are you sure?”

“I - yes, I’m sure, Minho. You were my hero today, and shouldn't heroes get a proper reward?”

you watch with red cheeks as his tongue darts out to wet his lips, now parted as he leans in closer and closer, until your noses are touching and his pink lips are grazing yours

“Princess, you are going to regret those words when I’m done with you tonight.”

                                         ✧

[autodidact-adventures]

Ancient Greece (Part 15): Decline and Recovery (c.1150 - 900 BC)

The strongest evidence for Greek decline after 1200 BC is that there are almost no expensive, finely-made artifacts in the archaeological record. However, painted pottery from after this date is still relatively abundant, it is used to follow Greece's decline & recovery.  The Dark age periods are named after the stages of pottery shapes & ornamentation.  The Greeks continued to take the art of pottery & painting vases very seriously, which is very helpful for us.

Submycenaean Period

The pottery from c.1125 – c.1050 BC is called Submycenaean.  This is because it is still in the Mycenaean style, but the quality is far lower.  This historical period was the aftermath of the attacks, and the low point of the Dark Age.

The Submycenaean pottery style has been called a “style of exhaustion”.  The potters used very few of the wide array of shapes & decorative elements that their ancestors had used.  The clay is often poorly-prepared; the vessels are smaller, less well-formed, and poorly-fired.  The traditional motifs and decorations are rather clumsy.

Submycenaean octopus jar.

These vases are nothing in comparison to those of the 1200's, but they are the main wealth of Submycenaean graves.  Nothing else valuable was buried with people, except for occasionally a gold ring or bronze dress pin. Even the pottery itself wasn't abundant in burials.  For example, 220 graves in Athens & Salamis had only 160 vases between them, and these places were not destroyed or abandoned.

Population levels had dropped dramatically all across the Greek world.  Estimates vary (according to region) from 60-90% decrease.  Melos (an Aegean island) was heavily-populated in the Late Bronze Age, but for the 200yrs seems to have been nearly empty.  Even in Attica, a region that was not successfully invaded, the number of settlements dropped by 50%. At the end of the 1000's [century, i.e. near 900 BC], the population in Greece was probably the lowest it had been for a millennium.

This population decrease seems to have been connected to the collapse of the redistributive economic system, and the general economic lag in Greece at the beginning of the Dark Age.  Large movements of people would have caused unstable conditions, and were often accompanied by violence.  This would also have contributed to the population decline.

However, it is important to remember that migration/relocation can give an exaggerated impression of population decline.  Some of the smaller Bronze Age settlements were deserted because the people simply moved elsewhere, where it was safer.  Tiryns' population actually increased after 1200, because of refugees.  Also, a lot of people fled to Achaea and Arcadia, and other more lightly-populated regions.  Others went overseas.

The centralized political/economic organization had disappeared with the palaces. The powerful wanax and his subordinates – officials, scribes, workers – who supported the redistributive system were gone.  Within a few generations, almost all knowledge of them had disappeared.  There was only the memory of great legendary warrior-chiefs, powerful rulers of large, prosperous kingdoms, who had been better men than their descendants in every way.

But Greece still hadn't collapsed into a completely primitive state.  Daily life for the ordinary people, at the household & village level, continued on as before.  The people grew wheat, barley, olives, figs and grapes.  They herded sheep, and spun & wove their wool & flax, with the same equipment & techniques as before.

The potters, carpenter-builderss, metalworkers and weavers all kept their basic technical knowledge, too.  There was no longer demand for fancy goods or fresco paintings, which had disappeared with the palaces – central manufacturing, storage and distribution were no longer in place, along with luxury goods, trade, and tax collectors.  But the usual agricultural life continued on.

In the same way, religion during the Dark Age both continued and changed.  6-7 of the later 12 Olympian gods are found in the Linear B tablets, so these survived through the Dark Age.  However, many other gods named in the tablets didn't survive – for example, “Drimios, son of Zeus” and “Dia”, a feminine form of Zeus, probably his consort.

Worshipping & placating the gods through prayer, sacrifice & gifts went on much the same as usual.  However, worship was no longer centred on the palaces, but was spread out among the villages.  Many of cults & festivals for certain gods developed during this time.

People's beliefs of the gods' personalities also probably changed.  Many of the mythoi (stories) about gods & heroes that form the base of later literature & art originated in the 1300's & 1200's, and survived mostly intact through the Dark Age.  However, others were probably made up or borrowed from the East during this time.

When the material culture was at its lowest point, signs of recovery began to appear. From around 1050 BC (end of the Submycenaean periods) different dialect groups from the mainland began migrating to the Aegean islands & the coast of Asia Minor.  The Ionians were Achaean refugees from the Peloponnese, fleeing first to Attica to escape the Dorians, and later moving across the Aegean to the Asian Minor coast.

Dorians also migrated, taking over the southern Aegean islands, and the southwest coast of Asia Minor.  For the first time in history, a permanent Greek presence was created in Asia Minor.  Because of this, one day the Aegean Sea would be known as the “Greek Sea”.

Also at this time, the Greeks learned & mastered the difficult process of smelting & working iron.  Iron was better for weapons & tools, as it is harder and keeps an edge better.  Greece is rich in iron ore, and the knowledge of how to use it had been known for a long time in the East.  But the Greeks had preferred to import copper & tin (which were rarely found in Greece) from abroad, to make bronze.  Now the sources for this were cut off, so they turned to iron.  From 1050 onwards, small local iron industries sprang up all across the mainland and on the islands.  By 950, most of the weapons would be made of iron, not bronze.

Protogeometric (1050-900)

This new style of pottery began around 1050, apparently originating in Attica, and spreading quickly to other regions.  It is still similar to the Submycenaean style, but there are differences.  The vases are now better-proportioned, slimmer, and less squat.  New varieties of shapes have appeared.  The Submycenaean shapes of horizontal lines & bands, arcs, half-circles and concentric circles are now criply-drawn, and fit the vase shapes better.  The overall effect is of balance, order and symmetry.

One reason for this was that techniques had advanced.  A faster pottery wheel had been developed, so the vase shapes could be improved.  Lines & circles were no longer drawn freehand – a ruler was used for lines, and a multiple brush compass was invented for circles (several brushes on a single arm, which was attached to a pair of dividers). They prepared the clay better, and firing it at a higher temperature made the glaze more lustrous.

Early Protogeometric amphora.

Around 1000 BC, the population began to slowly increase.  However, by the end of the Protogeometric period, it was still quite low, and the number of settlements had increased only slightly.

A “prominent” site was one that had over 200 people.  The smaller sites were hamlets containing a few families, 20-40 people.  Many of these sites had originally been the flourishing towns & villages of the Late Bronze Age, then wre abandoned in the 1100's and left totally/mostly abandoned.  During the Protogeometric period, they were reinhabited on a smaller scale.

A few major settlements (e.g. Athens & Corinth) may have had populations of 1000 or more at this time, but because they were continuously inhabited and built over, there's no way to tell without destroying existing modern and Classical-era structures.

Recovery was slow, and the speed varied depending on the region, but it was steady. Abandoned Mycenaean villages were reinhabited, and small new settlements appeared.  Communication improved within Greece, and with the East.  Foreign trade, which had nearly completely halted at the end of the 1100's [i.e. just before 1000] resumed at reduced levels. By the end of the 900's, major migrations of people within and into Greece had slowed down.  Greece had achieved a level of stability that it hadn't had since before the Dark Age.  By 900, they were on the threshold of a new era.