Minoans: 6 Interesting Facts About the Ancient Civilization of Crete
Minoan Crete Map. Source: Wikimedia
To this day, not much is known about the Ancient Civilization of Crete, and even fewer people know that it even existed. This article aims to provide you with an introduction into the Minoan Civilization of Crete and some interesting facts about its history and its people.
The First European Civilization
Indeed, the Minoans pre-date the Greeks and the Romans. The Crete-based bronze-age civilization originated circa 2,500 BC and flourished until approximately 1,450 BC. The civilization, first discovered by archeologist Sir Arthur Evans over 100 years ago, is best known for the myth of the Minotaur of Knossos, which we shall explore in the meantime.
Homer has described the island of Crete as “an island abundant of people where in ninety great cities different languages were heard”.