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The Minoan Society

 

             The location, geography, topography and resources of Crete, greatly influenced the way the Minoan society lived. The physical environment affected what they ate, the skills they learned and what their homes and palaces were built with.
             Crete is the largest of all the Greek islands. It is 260 kilometres from east to west and is no wider from north to south than 60 kilometres. The people of Crete, therefore, were never faraway from the sea. The waters surrounding them provided the Minoans with fish, octopus, shellfish and crustaceans for food. The sea also provided a defence from attack, as any invader would have to have any ships to be successful. This meant the Minoans did not need to build defensive walls around their towns to protect themselves.
             To fish for food, the Minoans had to build ships. As a result, they became some of the most famous sailors. Recent discoveries by historians have shown that Minoans had advanced navigational skills. A trading centre was discovered on Crete, indicating they set up a permanent camp for traders.
             In Crete, the winters were mild and snow fell on the mountains. The summer was hot, but cooled by the wind from the sea. The rain mainly fell in the spring and autumn.
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             The island is very mountainous. There are three main ranges: the white mountains, Ida range and Mt Dikte. All were covered in snow up until late spring. The lower slopes of these ranges were covered with trees. This would have provided the Minoans with the wood needed for there buildings. Where the trees did not grow, types of rock, mainly limestone, were found. The Minoans used these resources to build their homes, and used stone to pave their buildings. The mountains of Crete are also covered in caves. Archaeologists believe they were used for religious purposes, shelter or refuge.
             Crete is well known for its rich, fertile, farming valleys where many kinds of crops could be grown. Olive trees, grapes, vegetables, fruit, wheat, barley and honey.


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