<Ul> <Li> Category </Li> <Li> Commons </Li> <Li> Portal </Li> </Ul> <P> The Minoan civilization was an Aegean Bronze Age civilization on the island of Crete and other Aegean Islands which flourished from about 2700 to 1600 BC, before a late period of decline, finally ending around 1100 BC . It preceded and was absorbed by the Mycenaean civilization of ancient Greece . The civilization was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans . The name "Minoan" derives from the mythical King Minos and was coined by Evans, who identified the site at Knossos with the labyrinth and the Minotaur . The Minoan civilization has been described as the earliest of its kind in Europe, with historian Will Durant calling the Minoans "the first link in the European chain". </P> <P> The Minoan civilization is particularly notable for its large and elaborate palaces, some of which were up to four stories high, featured elaborate plumbing systems and were decorated with frescoes . The most notable Minoan palace is that of Knossos, followed by that of Phaistos . The Minoan period saw extensive trade between Crete, Aegean and Mediterranean settlements, particularly the Near East . Through their traders and artists, the Minoans' cultural influence reached beyond Crete to the Cyclades, the Old Kingdom of Egypt, copper - bearing Cyprus, Canaan and the Levantine coast and Anatolia . Some of the best Minoan art is preserved in the city of Akrotiri on the island of Santorini, which was destroyed by the Minoan eruption . </P> <P> The Minoans primarily wrote in the undeciphered Linear A, encoding a language hypothetically labelled Minoan . The reasons for the slow decline of the Minoan civilization, beginning around 1550 BC, are unclear; theories include Mycenaean invasions from mainland Greece and the major volcanic eruption of Santorini . </P>

What were 3 important features of minoan culture
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