The first and most important archaeological discovery was made by and Englishman, Sir Arthur Evans in 1894 AD on Crete. Evans named this discovery the palace of Knossoss. He named the civilization Minoan  after a Cretan king named Minos. The first Greeks came to Greece 40,000 years ago as cave bearing hunter-gatherers.
 These early Greeks were known as the Minoans. They traded with surrounding civilizations. Greek objects were found in foreign countries where they were taken by traders. For example, Minoan pots made in Crete were found in Egyptian tombs! Pots are an important archaeological find because they were painted with scenes from every day life. It showed what Greeks looked like, what their homes looked like, and showed what they wore. They lived on the island of Crete. Minoans started to keep records in a form of Hieroglyphics. They wrote on papyrus which rots easily, so few originals have been found. The Roman copies have survived. The Roman copies of the Greek art they once loved have been found which tells us they were fascinated with statues, paintings, and buildings. They later invented a more advanced version called Linear A. These have both never been deciphered. Minoans traveled on donkey drawn carts, but they mainly traveled at sea in ships. Minoans wore a specific style of clothes. Men wore a loin cloth and a short kilt of wool linen. Minoan woman wore brightly colored dresses with tight bodices and the skirts were flounced. Early Minoan farmers were very important. They built up a surplus of food and produce. Trading these goods made people more wealthy, population increased, and villages turned into busy communities. Around c.3,000 BC early Greeks discovered the metal which was a mix of tin and copper; this metal was bronze. It was easy to work with. Minoans used it to make tools and weapons. This made farming easier. The breakthrough of this new material was the beginning of the Bronze Age. Farming was introduced sometime before c.6,000 BC from newcomers from the east.  Farmers in the Bronze Age grew vegetables, cereal crop, and domesticated sheep.
 Ordinary homes which farmers lived in were outside the palace grounds. Palaces were built out of solid stone. Wood was used for roofs, ceilings, and doors. Light was let into the palace through open shafts called light wells. These went from the ceiling to the floor. The rooms of the palace were painted with colorful frescos. These frescos have given archaeologists an idea of dress and custom. The largest palace was called Knossoss. Knossoss had an excellent water supply and drainage. To prevent floods rain was channeled into gutters and stored in tanks. The water then entered the palace through clay pipes. Minoans built their towns near the coast in places where it was easy to reach the sea and the fertile farmlands. Each of the larger towns was based around a palace. The first palaces were built around c.2,000 BC and were destroyed by earthquakes about 300 years later. Experts think that over 30,000 people lived in and around the palace. Special rooms in the palace were set aside for religious ceremonies.
 Archaeological remains shows that goddesses were probably more important than gods because there were more statues and paintings of them. Minoans believed in life after death. They buried dead bodies in tombs with food and personal belongings. One of the strangest religious rituals was bull leaping. People lined up in front of a charging bull, grabbed onto itís horns, and flipped over itís back.
 In 1450 BC experts believe the end of the Minoans happened when there was a volcanic eruption on the island of Thera, which is 70 miles north of Crete. The explosions were so violent that most of Thera was blasted away leaving only the small island called Santorini.  On Crete this may have caused title waves, earth tremors, flooding, and the destruction of crops.
 

Greek Civilizations  Greek Civilizations