The Aegean Civilization
The streams of civilization also moved westward from the Middle East to the northern areas of the Mediterranean Sea. It was there that the Aegean civilization had its beginning. Centered around the Aegean Sea this civilization consisted of two separate cultures-the Minoan and the Mycenaeans. The Minoan culture began first on the island of Crete and the Mycenaens culture developed in the area known today as Greece. Greece is the country in the southernmost part of the Balkan peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea. No matter where you stand in Greece you are never more than 120 km(75 miles) from the sea. On the eastern coast is the Aegean Sea and on the west is the Ionian Sea. Hundreds of islands are located off the coast in the Aegean Sea the largest and most important being Crete. This island is approximately 240 km(150 miles) long from west to east and 56 km(35 miles) wide
Early migrations
According to the early records of the Hebrew people descendants of Japheth first settled on the shores of the Black and Caspian Seas. Then they migrated across the peninsula of Turkey where the Troy. Located at the crossroads of both land and sea trade routes this city became wealthy and powerful. Later descendants of these people crossed the Dardanelles Strait and migrated to Crete and Greece. Archaeologist have found the remains of god jewelry, cups, offering vases, and religious objects in the tracing this migration. Early settlers in the Balkan peninsula found a mountainous country. There were no great rivers and no fertile valleys for farmland like other civilization have had. The mountains were very important however to the later development of Greek civilization because they isolated the different city-states.