Ancient Greece from 3000 BCE to 1200 BCE saw the rise and fall of two early civilizations - the Minoans of Crete and the Mycenaeans of mainland Greece. The Minoans established cities on Crete like Knossos with palaces, temples, and workshops governed by priest-kings until their mysterious fall around 1400 BCE. They had a matriarchal society and economy based on farming, fishing, and trade. The Mycenaeans then dominated mainland Greece from 2000 BCE, living in fortified hilltop settlements and engaging in feudal agriculture and overseas trade until their collapse around 1200 BCE, coinciding with the Trojan War and the arrival of the Dorians.
