In Plato’s famous account of Atlantis, he describes various aspects of the island's culture. One notable aspect was that the people of Atlantis engaged in bull fighting.
Since many scholars believe Plato’s account was inspired by one or more actual...
Famously, the eruption of Thera (or Santorini) was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in human history. It had a devastating effect on the Minoans, and there is strong evidence that it ultimately led to their gradual downfall.
However, what...
The fall of the Minoans occurred around 1450 BC when the Mycenaean Greeks conquered Crete. This brought about a major change in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean, where the Minoans had long been the dominant trading force.
With such a...
There are lots of things about the ancient Minoan civilization that scholars continue to debate. One of the mysteries surrounding this civilization is the script that they used, Linear A. While many things about this script are already well...
On August 19, 1969, the Bronze Age city of Akrotiri on Santorini was uncovered, offering an extraordinary glimpse into a civilization preserved in volcanic ash. This discovery remains one of the most significant archaeological finds, revealing a sophisticated society...
Archaeologists have recently uncovered the earliest farming architecture ever found in a settlement in the Aegean Islands, placing the northern island of Imbros (Greek: Ίμβρος)—modern-day Gökçeada in Turkey—at the center of a story long dominated by Crete.
The discovery at...
Plato's account of the lost civilization of Atlantis includes a description of a marvelous temple of god Poseidon. It was said to have been in the center of Atlantis, so it was a very prominent part. However, in most...
One of the most famous groups of monsters in Homer's Odyssey is the Cyclopes. While often dismissed as purely mythological creations, some evidence suggests the Cyclopes may have been exaggerated representations of a real people—the Minoans.
Where did the Cyclopes...
Plato's account of Atlantis contains numerous fascinating features. Scholars acknowledge that many of these features may well have been inspired by real places and events. One particularly notable part of Plato's description is the fact that Atlantis supposedly had...
The Minoans were the inhabitants of Bronze Age Crete, and they dominated trade in the Mediterranean during the height of their power. Homer's Odyssey, usually thought to be set in the Bronze Age, tells the story of Odysseus sailing through...
