The Minoans have often been labelled as the first civilization in Europe’s history as they were the first centralized culture in Europe, or rather a European island and they expanded to become one of the greatest merchants of the Mediterranean. This is because the Minoans lived on the island of Crete in the Eastern Mediterranean, between Egypt and Greece. Their location positioned them at the crossroads of a great trade network and they used their rich resources to build a massive merchant fleet defended by a powerful navy. This is what the Ancient Greek legends tell us because while they used a writing system, it has not been deciphered. But there are fragments in their art and items that have been preserved, as well as a possible Minoan shipwreck. Our ancestors conducted this trade through a highly organized society with palace buildings doubling as centralized warehouses, where collected produce and products were sent, and a network of roads facilitating transportation across the island and out to the ports, where they would then be shipped across the Mediterrean in exchange for precious metals and exotic products unattainable in Crete. It appears that they were able to heavily influence the standard for trade as their products were highly sought after in Egypt, Canaan and even further into Mesopotamia. In addition to products, they also exported their culture to the surrounding communities and set up a series of colonies on islands across the Aegean sea. But with the Thera Eruption and possible earthquake causing a huge tsunami, a large percentage of their ships were sunk leaving them with a ruined economy and practically defenseless. The Myceaneans capitalized on their weakness and conquered the Minoans, becoming the leaders of Minoans society where they rebuilt their trade sphere and adopted parts of Minoan culture before enriching it and passing fragments and legends down to Ancient Greece.



This is Ancestoria: The History of our Ancestors


Music:


Forest Lights by Ean Grimm
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Eight Mountains by Savfk
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