<span>Besides timber Crete exported food, cypress wood, wine, currants, olive oil, wool, cloth, herbs, and purple dye. Its imports consisted of precious stones, copper (most likely from Cyprus), ivory, silver, gold, and other raw material. They also imported tin that was used in the production of bronze alloys. Interestingly, the nearest known tin mines appear as far as Spain, Britain, central Europe, and Iran. Besides raw materials, the Minoans also adopted from the surrounding cultures artistic ideas and techniques as evident in Egypt's influence on the Minoan wall frescoes, and on goldsmithing production knowledge imported by Syria.</span>
As with all colonies in the colonial period of history, they were sources of both cheap raw materials and outlets for the (expensive) finished products. They also provide a physical extension of the military and political power of the colonizing nations.
In Sumerian culture, the city of E r i d u was an important religious center. Sumerians believed that the city was the place where creation began. They believed that the gods first created cities, then created people to maintain them. The significance of E r i d u can be witnessed by the name it is often given. It was called “The First City.”
Alexander Kerensky might have remained as prime minister of the provisional government a lot longer. He may have succeeded in keeping Russia in WWI. The war may have ended sooner than 11/1918 with the U.S. entering in 1917.
