• 3rd-millennium BC - Troy

• "The protopalatial era began with social upheaval, external dangers, and migrations from mainland Greece and Asia Minor. During this time the Minoans began establishing colonies at Thera, Rodos, Melos, and Kithira."
• 2000 BC: "A new political system was established with authority concentrated around a central figure."
• "The first large palaces were founded and acted as centers for their respective communities."
• "Distinctions between the classes forged a social hierarchy and divided the people into nobles, peasants, and perhaps slaves."

• Troy VIII and Greek Ilion 
• Troy IX Roman Ilium

“The most famous of the golden masks, dating to the 16th century BC, discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in Grave Circle A at Mycenae in 1876. Schliemann, who relied heavily on myth in his interpretations, believed he was gazing upon 'the face of Agamemnon'."
(Scarre 2013)

“Like burials, pottery styles throughout Greece during the Dark Age saw the emergence of regional variations, unlike during Mycenaean times when pottery displayed a stylistic unit."
("History of Greece: The Dark Ages")

• "Within these three hundred years, the people of Greece lived in small groups that moved constantly in accordance with their new pastoral lifestyle and livestock needs, while they left no written record behind leading to the conclusion that they were illiterate. "
• Between 950 - 750 BC - "Greeks relearned how to write once again, but this time instead of using the Linear B script used by the Mycenaeans, they adopted the alphabet used by the Phoenicians “innovating in a fundamental way by introducing vowels as letters. The Greek version of the alphabet eventually formed the base of the alphabet used for English today.”"

• Greeks established around 500 colonies which included up to 60,000 Greek citizen colonists.
• By 500 BCE these new territories would eventually account for 40% of all Greeks in the Hellenic World.
• First the islands around Greece were colonized and then prospectors looked further afield.

“sport” of bull-leaping

• "This is the time when Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, and Zakros were built, along side many smaller palaces which stretched along the Cretan landscape."
• "Small towns developed near the palaces and the dead were buried in pithoi and larnakes, along rock-cut chambers and above-ground tholos tombs."
• "For the first time smaller residencies that we call villas appeared in the rural landscape, and were modeled after the large palaces with storage facilities, worship, and workshops."
• "During this period we see evidence of administrative and economic unity throughout the island, and Minoan Crete reach its zenith. "
• "Women played a powerful role in society, and the gold artifacts, seals, and spears speak of a very affluent upper class. 
• "The paved road network was vastly expanded to connect most major Minoan palaces and towns, and we have evidence of extensive trade activity."
• "The Minoan culture's fusion with the Helladic (mainland Greek) traditions of the time eventually morphed into the Mycenaean civilization, which in turn challenged the Minoan supremacy in the Aegean."
• "The affluence of the culture during this period is evident in the frescoes found in the Cretan palaces and in Thera, Melos, Kea, and Rodos."

• "With the destruction of Knossos the power in the Aegean shifts to Mycenae."
• "Both Knossos and Phaistos remain active centers of influence, they do not act as the central authority of the island any longer."
• "During the postpalatial period the western part of Crete flourishes. Several important settlements developed around Kasteli and Chania, while Minoan religion begins to exhibit influences from the Greek mainland."
• During this period, Helladic god names such as Zeus begin to appear in tablets, new shapes develop in pottery, and vaulted tholos tombs appear for the first time.