There was an interesting article in National Geographic in the 1970s about a 50 foot high mound that was a village site. Upon excavating they found it went back either 6,000 years or 6,000 BC (can’t remember which). The early pottery was colorful and imaginative, then 2 or 3,000 years later there was pottery that was well made, but drab and monocolor. I think the mound was in Bulgaria. I remember thinking, “what happened to destroy these people’s joy and creativity?”