The Cretan Civilization (1): Pirates, Palaces, Breasts

A History of Mankind (24)

Like Egypt and the Dravidian-speaking regions in South Asia and Bactria-Margiana, the small island of Crete developed a separate, almost entirely indigenous culture[1] in relative isolation from the nearby, pushy Indo-European and Semitic peoples expanding all around.

Crete's geographic position was the main reason why this was possible. Located close en…