Geometric (period)

Refers to a period and style of Greek art and culture that developed first in Attica, but was eventually found throughout Greece, in Italy, and in the Levant. It is generally held to have occurred from around 900 BCE to around 700 BCE, though some classification schemes omit the Protogeometric period and begin the Geometric period at 1,100 BCE. In pottery it is characterized by dark-on-light decorations arranged in regularly spaced horizontal bands, and differs from Protogeometric style in that the designs are busier and the bands cover nearly the entire vessel. Designs include zigzags, triangles, meanders, swastikas, and distinctive stylized, angular human and animal figures. Similar designs and figural types were used in sculpture and other arts.