Human life apparently appeared in Greece and Crete as early as in other parts of Europe an Minor Asia. Some findings in Thessaly, Anatolia, Syria and Nil Delta prove that there existed settlements of hunter communities during the early Stone Age. It was a period of abundance; the climate was a little bit warmer than today and there was a huge richness of food. However, from this period, in Greece and Minor Asia just some superficial findings have been found .

These ancient life forms slowly came to an end with the Ice Age. But some areas in the east and south Aegean remained unfrozen and did not go through the vegetation atrophy that damaged all Europe. Compared to the north regions, Crete, Sicily, Syria and Palestine offered an ideal context for development, although no evidence from early settlements has been found -fact that could be due to different reasons.

Around 9000 BC, the last glaciers of the Ice Age melted and the climate became warmer and more constant. From the 7th century on, it seems to be that the climate was already as the present Mediterranean climate. Specially in Crete, the situation was better than in the rest of the Aegean: numerous valleys gave shelter for the good growing of fruits and plants, the summer heat was moderated by the wind and the winter cold by the proximity of the sea.

There were many fruits, fishes and almost all the kinds of vegetables that we know today. However, while the Greek mainland was swarming with wild animals, in Crete there were no more big beasts of prey. But the rocky coast offered a good protection to hostile attacks, whereas the sandy bays were a perfect location for the safe construction of boats.

The eldest advanced civilizations settled down there where they did not have to constantly fight against the nature to survive. Crete was this kind of land, so during the Stone Age and the early Bronze Age there were important migrations coming from Mesopotamia and Minor Asia that inhabited the island bringing their cultures with them.