About 750 BC, the Greeks began to colonize Sicily (Sikelia), establishing many important settlements. The Phoenicians also were early settlers before the Greeks. Among these were Egyptian, Phoenician, and Iberian. There are many studies of genetic records which show inhabitants of various parts of the Mediterranean Basin mixed with the oldest inhabitants of Sicily. Other minor Italic groups who settled in Sicily were the Ausones (Aeolian Islands, Milazzo) and the Morgetes (Morgantina). From mainland Italy, thought to originally have been Ligures from Liguria, came the Sicels in 1200 BC forcing the Sicanians to move back across Sicily settling in the middle of the island. Although there is no evidence of any wars between the tribes, when the Elymians settled in the north-west corner of the island, the Sicanians moved across eastwards. The Elymians, thought to be from the Aegean Sea, were the next tribe to migrate to join the Sicanians on Sicily. The arrival of the first humans is correlated with extinction of dwarf hippos and dwarf elephants. Important historical evidence has been discovered in the form of cave drawings by the Sicani, dated from the end of the Pleistocene epoch, around 8000 BC. The most prominent and by far the earliest of which was the Sicani, who according to Thucydides arrived from the Iberian Peninsula (perhaps Catalonia). The original inhabitants of Sicily were three defined groups of the Ancient peoples of Italy.
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