Bronze Age
Minoan Civilization
2500 BC – 1100 BC · peak 1700 BC
Centered on the island of Crete, the Minoan civilization (c. 2700–1450 BC) built expansive, unfortified palace complexes like Knossos and used the undeciphered Linear A script. It established a maritime trade network and produced sophisticated frescoes and pottery. The culture declined following the Thera eruption and subsequent Mycenaean political and military expansion.
Capital: Knossos
Key figures
Battles in this period
Trade routes in use
- Amber Road (1500 BC – 500 AD)
- Phoenician Mediterranean Routes (1100 BC – 300 BC)