Crete civilization (3560–1400 B.C)

Crete may have been settled as early as 10,000 BC, by people from Syria and western Anatolia; refugees from Egypt may have settled there in 3000 BC.

The first Aegean civilization developed on the island of Crete probably because it was safe from invasion. Crete became the center of the Aegean world and dominated the people living on the mainland.

The people of Crete were called Minoans because the king was called “minos”. A Bronze Age civilization that used metals, especially bronze, in making weapons had been established there by 2800 BC.

The Minoan civilization reached its height between 2000 and 1450 BC. The palace at Knossus, the royal seat of the kings, demonstrates the prosperity and power of this civilization.

Trade was the life blood of the island, and for a long time its merchants held a commanding position in the Mediterranean Sea. By 2100 BC, there was a brisk trade among the Mycenaean cities of Greece, Crete and the city of Troy. Cretans also traded with the Egyptians and with the cities along the coast of Palestine.
Crete civilization (3560–1400 B.C)