1. The Minoans

6. Minoans: (Cretans) Crete 2800 BCE - Grew wheat, barley, grapes and olives - Traded excess crops - Good carpenters - Excellent metal workers - Used metal and wood skills to build ships and become traders - Excellent ship builders: learned to maker faster, thinner ships with only 1 mast. Put a deck above rowers for protection against pirate invaders. - Became mostly sea traders - Loved sports including: boxing, bull fighting - Had a navy - No walls around cities - Ruled by priest-kings - Worshipped multiple gods - Sea power was eventually lost to the Myceneans