The diet of the Bronze Age people of Crete, as one can see, is surprisingly interesting and modern.
In some aspects even more exotic than what we today in Crete understand to be the traditional Cretan Mediterranean cuisine.
Based on the findings of the excavations and analysis of the fragments of pottery animal bones, sea shells we realise that the Minoans and Mycenaeans consumed in their everyday diet mainly pulses, cereals olives, fruit, vegetables some animal protein and even less seafood.
This diet obviously is a healthy diet for the heart and beneficial all around once one adds the benefits of olive oil to the above nutrition habit.
In the late 20th century the technology needed physics and chemistry was at a level for scientists to be able to apply modern technology to unlock and extract from the evidence left behind by the Minoans to understand more about their diet and trace the link of eating habits of the people of this island from the Bronze Age until today.
Zoo archaeology \Animal archaeology also helped in this understanding as the bones and fragments of animal remains could be examined.
Archeobotany and other new sciences have provided us with valuable information on Aegean and Minoan agriculture.
Of course, radiocarbon dating provided us with the information concerning cereal wine and olive cultivation in Crete.
Crete is a large mountainous island that developed an agricultural and maritime economy and structure.
Very probably overseeing if not dominating some sometimes the smaller islands of the Cyclades.
The earliest evidence so far of fishing in Greece is in Epirus (Bailey 1992)found in a cave at Klithi dated between 15000 and. 10000. BC
Frahthi the Cave in mainland Greece has given us evidence of hunter-gatherers and evidence of the animals and fish they hunted.
But by 6500 the farming settlements in Crete are emerging.
Knossos is one of the oldest settlements of Crete and is situated beside a river 5 kilometres from the sea up on a hill with plenty of grazing areas around it.
The choice of this hill area to reside in displays careful thought and good understanding and awareness of agriculture.
From this period from the lowest stratum of Knossos evidence of cattle, pigs, emmer, wheat and barley.
Where these all these native to Crete?
How did they arrive?
From which route?
As cultivation in later times became more systematic as the technology of the people evolved small farms with rotating crops of pulses and cereals something still done in rural areas of Crete.
Sheep, goats, cattle, pigs and horses were kept for meat.
Manure, skins, bones horns for tools and even rituals.
Like in most cultures killing an animal is either a sacrifice or consumed during special occasions only.
In the late Neolithic period, wild ibex of Crete, rabbit, hare, donkey and red deer were domesticated.
With the use of metals and ploughs better understanding and use of animals for transport enabled the introduction of orchard crops the vine, nuts, fruits and olive.
As settlements grew and food became more plentiful we entered the Bronze Age of Crete.
The overseeing of parts of Crete and its agricultural resources led to the establishments known to us today as palaces.
These sites Knossos, Phaistos, Mallia, Zakros centres of powerful economic and political manifestations.
