Editing Archaic Greece (section)

=== Non-sapiens Homo species (until ~40,000 years ago) ===
'''Homo erectus''' is one of the earliest known '''hominins''' to have exhibited human-like walking and other characteristics. While predominantly associated with <u>Africa</u> and <u>Asia</u>, there is some evidence to suggest their presence in <u>Southern Europe</u> as well.  They existed from ~1.9 million years ago to about 110,000 years ago. The known migration patterns of Homo erectus out of <u>Africa</u> into <u>Asia</u> and possibly <u>Europe</u> suggest that they could have reached <u>Greece</u>. Unlike in other regions, such as <u>Africa</u> and <u>Southeast Asia</u>, where Homo erectus fossils have been found extensively, <u>Greece</u> does not have direct fossil evidence of this species. This absence makes it difficult to conclusively state their presence in the region.

'''Neanderthals''' (Homo neanderthalensis) were our closest extinct human relative and lived in parts of <u>Europe</u> and <u>Asia</u>. They existed from about 400,000 years ago until roughly 40,000 years ago. At '''Kalamakia Cave''', located on the <u>Mani Peninsula</u> in southern <u>Greece</u> (the middle peninsula of the <u>Peloponnese</u>), numerous <u>Neanderthal</u> fossils have been found, including teeth and bones, dating back approximately 100,000 to 39,000 years ago. At '''Theopetra Cave''', situated in <u>central Greece</u> (in <u>Thessaly</u>), layers of human occupation date back to the <u>Middle Paleolithic</u> period. While primarily known for its later Homo sapiens artifacts, there is evidence suggesting Neanderthal occupation, such as stone tools typical of Neanderthal ('''Mousterian''') technology.