In a nutshell, who were they?

Meet the ancient cool kids who shaped history, from the OG alphabet inventors to the artsy Italians and the philosophical Celtic hipsters. First up, the Phoenicians, rocking it around 1100 BC in Lebanon, where they not only invented the alphabet but also made glass cool way before it was a thing. Next, we've got the Etruscans, Italy's trendsetters with their advanced culture and artsy vibes – basically, the influencers of their time.

Now, let's talk about the Druids, the ancient Celtic VIPs known for their deep thoughts and spiritual vibes. These guys were the original tree-huggers, members of the priestly class dropping wisdom and making Stonehenge look like child's play. Speaking of Celts, those Indo-European tribes from the 6th-5th centuries BC were the artistic rebels of their time, painting Europe and Asia with their ornamental flair.

Picture this: the Picts, Scotland and northern Ireland's edgy crew with distinctive features. They were basically the ancient rockstars, playing a key role in early Scottish history and leaving their mark. Carthaginians, the Tunisia-based maritime maestros, were the rivals of Greece and Rome, engaging in epic showdowns during the Punic Wars. Saxons, the Germanic squad dominating northwest Germany, were like the ancient DJs dropping beats that echoed through British history.

Fast forward to the Huns, the nomadic Asian peeps led by Attila, causing a ruckus in the 4th and 5th centuries AD and giving the Roman Empire some serious FOMO. The Visigoths, a branch of the ancient Goths, were the jet-setters of their time, migrating and mingling with the Roman Empire like they were VIPs at a royal gala.

Let's talk about the Slavs, the diverse crew of Indo-European trailblazers shaping up Eastern Europe. Moving on to the Tartars, central Asia's original fusion artists, blending seamlessly with Mongol elements after Genghis Khan's conquests and forming the legendary Tatars. Now, the Ottomans, the empire that emerged in the 14th century, were the ancient overachievers, ruling Southeast Europe, Asia, and Africa like it was no big deal.

And who could forget the Moors, the Muslim maestros of the Iberian Peninsula, dropping cultural bombshells during the medieval period. Together, this eclectic mix of cultures and peoples created a historical masterpiece, weaving a rich tapestry of art, language, religion, and governance that still echoes through time. They weren't just history; they were the OG influencers of the ancient world!