As the sun slowly descended on Europe's Neolithic period, the stage was set for the rise of various cultures that would come to shape the continent, none can be said to have played a role quite like those that emerged on the fertile banks of the Mediterranean Sea, but it wasn't the Greeks or Romans who ushered in Europe's first civilizations.
Instead, it was an illustrious and mysterious culture that emerged on the island of Crete, nestled comfortably in the southern part of the Aegean Sea, a body of water that separates Greece from Turkey.
The land of Crete extends for an impressive 160 miles from east to west.
Here, amongst its coastal plains, scenic beaches, and mountains that appear to drop directly into the sea, a culture known as the Minoans, arose over 5,000 years ago.
And these people would go on to shape history on the continent, often referred to as not only Europe's first civilization, but the continent's first illiterate society.
Their strategic location on the island, wedged between southern Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, allowed them to dominate ancient maritime trade routes, and by the height of their civilization, they were regarded as awe inspiring masters of the ocean.
But who were these mysterious people?
And how did they spread their influence and culture across the Mediterranean from such a small island?
Aspects of Minoan history still remains somewhat shrouded in mystery.
Nonetheless, the dedicated efforts of archaeologists and researchers who have toiled away in the ancient dirt of Crete have shed light on the culture.
