Summary:
- Marija Gimbutas was a renowned Lithuanian-American archaeologist and anthropologist who made significant contributions to the study of ancient European cultures and civilizations.
- Her work focused on the Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures of Europe, and she developed the theory of the "Kurgan hypothesis," which proposed that the Indo-European languages and cultures spread from the Pontic-Caspian steppe region.
- Gimbutas' research challenged traditional views of ancient European societies, suggesting that they were more advanced and egalitarian than previously believed, with a strong emphasis on goddess worship and matriarchal social structures.