The civilization which succeeded the Minoans as the most powerful Mediterranean trader were The Phoenicians. The Phoenicians were a people who occupied the coast of the Levant. Their name comes from the Greek ´´Phoinikes´´ which means ´´Tyrian Purple dye´´ since the major export of the region was, cloth dyed Tyrian purple, and what the Phoenicians actually called themselves is unknown. Their civilization spread across the Mediterranean and thrived as a maritime trader and manufacturing center from c. 1500-332 BCE and was highly regarded for their skill in ship-building, glass-making, the production of dyes, and an impressive level of skill in the manufacture of luxury and common goods.
The Minoan civilization,a Bronze Age civilization, arose on the island
of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the
15th century BC.
