Minoan writing (Linear A) has not yet been deciphered, but there are indications that it represents an Aegean language, unrelated to any Indo-European language. The Minoan Civilization was much more advanced and sophisticated than the contemporary Helladic civilization during the Bronze Age. They probably migrated from Anatolia to Greece and Crete thousands of years before the Bronze Age. However, an analysis of the genome sequences of the ancient Minoans and Mycenaeans, who lived 3,000 to 5,000 years ago, were genetically similar, having at least three-quarters of their ancestry from early Neolithic farmers. Each of the palaces excavated so far has unique characteristics, but they also share features that distinguish them from other structures.Īpparently the Minoan people were not Indo-European and were not even related to the pre-Greek inhabitants of mainland Greece and Western Anatolia, the so-called pelasgos. They are monumental constructions serving administrative purposes, which is evidenced by large archives of documents unearthed by archaeologists. The so-called Minoan palaces (anaktora) are the best-finished constructions known to have been excavated on the island. It is sometimes argued that the Egyptian plate called 'Keftiu' ('On the other hand some known facts about Caftor This was associated with the Greek myth of the labyrinth, which Evans identified as the site of Cnossos. The term 'Minoan' was coined by Arthur Evans and is derived from the name of the mythical king 'Minos'. The artistic motifs incorporated in these productions, as in the frescoes, in short, value scenes depicting nature and In all cases, the artifacts produced show a gradual evolution as the civilization became more specialized. There were productions using clay (pottery), semi-precious stones (lithic art) and metals. Minoan art was extremely fertile and encompassed elements acquired through contacts with foreign peoples as well as indigenous elements. To facilitate such trade the Minoans developed a complete system of weights and measures that used copper ingots and gold and silver discs with predetermined weights. Because Crete was poor in deposits of mainly metals, the Minoans produced surplus agricultural and manufactured goods that they sold to obtain metals from Cyprus, Egypt, and the Cyclades. With an economy based primarily on foreign trade, the Minoan Civilization shaped every aspect of it to meet the demands of the foreign market. Around 1400 B.C., weakened internally, the Minoans were fully assimilated by the inhabitants of the Greek mainland, the Mycenaeans, who repopulated some of the main settlements on the island and made it prosper for a few more centuries. Its history presented periods of internal turmoil, possibly caused by natural disasters, which culminated in the destruction of most of its urban centers. From this point on, civilization developed gradually over the following centuries, spreading its culture to most of the peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean. it was possible to start manufacturing bronze.

With the introduction of copper around 2,700 B.C. However, the first signs of agricultural practices did not appear until 5,000 BCE, then characterizing the beginning of civilization. Historian Will Durant refers to the civilization as 'the first link in the European chain.' The first inhabitants of Crete date back to at least 128,000 B.C., during the Middle Paleolithic. It was rediscovered in the early 20th century during the archaeological expeditions of the British Arthur Evans. The Minoan Civilization arose during the Greek Bronze Age on Crete, the largest island in the Aegean Sea, and flourished roughly between the 30th and 15th century B.C. Theories about the destruction of the Minoan Civilization.Minoan civilization Dafato Team | Table of Content