The Minoan culture was the first highly complex society on modern European soil, with palaces, writing, stunning art – and even flushing toilets. The article explores how this pioneering European civilization influenced western culture and how Minoan culture has been reconstructed and re-imagined in museum displays and modern representations.
The Minoan civilization of Crete thrived in the Bronze Age, but its original name remains unknown as the Minoans left no written record of it. Though called “Minoan” today—a name coined by Sir Arthur Evans—neighboring cultures used similar terms like “Eteocretans” (Greek), “Caphtorim/Caphtor” (Biblical/Middle Eastern), and “Keftiu” (Egyptian). This consistency suggests the Minoans likely called themselves something similar, possibly “Caphtorim,” despite their undeciphered Linear A script. These external names offer clues to their self-identified origins.
