And Hello and welcome back to the history of ancient Greece. Episode 5, Minoan Crete.

The Minoans on Crete were an early source of cultural inspiration for the Greeks.

Crete is the largest and southernmost island in Greece.

It separates the Aegean Sea from the Libyansi.

Like the Greek mainland, Crete is very mountainous,

but in the central and eastern parts of the island,

there are fairly large fertile plains for agriculture.

The local inhabitants followed the same developmental path of other Neolithic sites with the establishment

of small farming villages, specialization of labor, and social and political hierarchy by around 3,500 BC, these small farming villages grew into substantial towns, marking the earliest traces of what we would label a civilization.

With population growth and increasing agricultural production,

the chiefs of these major settlements emerged as single rulers over the other chiefs in the surrounding population in the various districts.

Thus Crete became a land of small city kingdoms. The Minoans entered the Bronze Age around 2,700 to 2,600 BC and began

communicating and trading with the near east.

They produced several highly valuable goods

throughout the Mediterranean, such as wine, olive oil, wool, and lumber.

The island today is fairly empty of trees, but in ancient times they had giant forests of

Cyprus, cedar, pine, and fur for the building of homes and ships.

Cloth made from the wool of sheep brought a thriving textile industry to Crete.

In addition, several cities developed in major centers of metalwork, producing jewelry and tableware, in bronze, gold, and silver, for the local elites, and also for export and trade. Thus it is no surprise that by around

2000 BC their society mainly was based on sea trade. Coastal locations of sites combined with workshops and the richness

of archaeological fines reflects a society that was built mainly on import and

export. This trade activity also has been dictated on many

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