King Journal Entry By Jake

Dear Journal,

Being the king of the Minoans is not an easy job, but it is a good one. The year is 1700 B.C.E. and we are on the island of Crete which is found near the Libyan Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Crete. We are near Greece, Turkey and Asia Minor. Crete is a vast and beautiful island that has many mountains and gorges with several plateaus. The Leropotamos River is our water supply and there are two harbors in Crete. The island has mild weather with a slightly rainy winter and a warm, dry summer. In the past, our island has experienced natural disasters like earthquakes. Our shore is also elevated above the ground. Our soil is very fertile which allows for agriculture.
Our economy is very diverse. We have different crops that we farm like celery, asparagus, carrots, pear and more. For our agriculture, our civilization has bronze tools. We used to use bone or wood tools but when we found bronze our tools were revolutionized. In addition, we have a variety of animals like cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. Being on an island with a rapidly growing population, resources are limited and trade is very necessary. The trade helps me and my bureaucracy get the items we need and deserve and it also helps to build our civilization up. This is why I decided to place a tax on low-class traders’ earnings from my civilization. We export oil, wine and jewelry among other things. We receive a lot of food and raw materials from other civilizations in our area like Egypt and Mesopotamia, who have been frequent trade partners recently. These items help to feed our population, create shelters and build my lavish palace. In addition, the civilizations that we trade with have influenced our culture greatly over time. We are also known for our pottery and sealstones. 

Now you would think that being the social civilization that we are we would have a lot of attacks and conflicts but we don’t! Although we do have a navy, it is for trade purposes only and our weapons are only used during religious rituals. We also built walls and watchtowers just to be safe because there is always a threat, but our island location helps us avoid attack. Generally, we are very peaceful with our fellow civilizations.