22 – Pretani Associates – Isles of Pretani Series – Ancient Peoples (Europe)


Today we can still feel the influence of the Pretani within the British Isles, formerly known as the Isles of Pretani. Other ancient peoples, who lived during the period of the Pretani, also influence the different regions of the world today. Their names are known and the following are only examples.

Europe
The Etruscans called themselves Rasenna, while the ancient Romans called them Etruscans. They lived in the regions in Italy known today as Tuscany, Latium and Umbria, Po Valley and Campania. The Roman Republic which started in the late 4thcentury BC began to absorb the Etruscans, a process which would be completed when the last Etruscan cities were controlled by the Romans around 100 BC

The Ligurians were a collection of ancient people who inhabited the northwestern Mediterranean coast from the mouth of the Ebro river in Spain to the mouth of the Arno river in Italy. They too were absorbed into Roman culture during the 2nd century BC.

The Nuragic were an ancient tribe that lived on the island now known as Sardinia, located in the Western Mediterranean. They built many stone towers, which are widespread across the island. The Nuragic people became very skilled metal workers and were among the main metal producers, primarily of copper and lead in Europe.

The Iberians are referred to in Greek and Roman sources from at least the 6th century BC. They lived in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula which today is divided into Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar.

The Basques lived and continue to live in an area of land now known as Northern Spain and Southeastern France. Basque tribes include the Vascones and the Aquitania. The Vascones inhabited a territory in the region that coincides with present-day Navarre, western Aragon and Northeastern La Rioja, in the Iberian peninsula. The Aquitania inhabited a territory that coincides with a region between the Pyrenees, the Atlantic Ocean and the part of the river Garonne which flows in southwestern France.

The Pelasgians were the iinhabitants of the islands in the Aegean Sea, known today as the Greek islands. There were four ancient Pelasgian tribes called the Ionians, Dorians, Aeolians and Achaeans.

The Sami lived and continue to live in the Arctic circle in Sápmi or known in English as Lapland. Today some of the Sami live semi-nomadic lives as they look after their reindeer herds.