Minoan Culture and the Mycenaeans Life on Crete On the island of
Crete between 2000 and 1700 B.C. the Minoans developed the first
civilization to arise in Europe. It began as an imitation of
Egyptian culture. However, it took on a flavor all its own.
Minoan civilization was first unearthed by Sir Arthur Evans in
the early 1900s. He was a wealthy British archeologist who
restored much of the palace complex he dug up at a site called
Knossos. The Effects of Geography on the Minoans In political
geography we come to understand that the locality in which a
people lives can greatly influence the way those people develop.
The Island of Crete has a very moderate climate and the soil is
fertile. This spurred a growing and relatively affluent
population. Yet the people out-grew the limited resources of
their island; to maintain their standard of living they had to
reach out. It was natural, like other subsequent island nations,
that they should become heavily engaged in trade overseas. Thus,
they became a mercantile p