A special royal flask with marine patterns of special palatial tradition from between 1500 and 1450 BC is a hymn to the ocean, and a symbol of the peak of Minoan pottery art. A clay boat model from 2600 to 2300 BC illustrates the tradition of shipbuilding at the time. Sailboats were introduced to Crete when the Bronze Age came to an end. Before that, this canoe-like boat was the main way for the island to connect with the rest of the world.
Traveling across the Aegean on simple ships, Minoans had a wide network of communication, absorbing elements from other civilizations, as the exhibition shows. Their culture also spread across neighboring islands.
"It inspires us to evaluate the shared community of mankind in a modern context," Bo says.
