Minoan civilization The saffron trade, which predated Minoan civilization, was comparable in value to that of frankincense or black pepper. Minoan men wore loincloths and kilts. Women wore robes with short sleeves and layered, flounced skirts. The robes were open to the navel, exposing their breasts. Women could also wear a strapless, fitted bodice, and clothing patterns had symmetrical, geometric designs. Several writing systems dating from the Minoan period been have unearthed in Crete, the majority of which are currently undeciphered. The most well-known script is Linear A, dated to between 2500 BC and 1450 BC. Linear A is the parent of
Minoan chronology which became indispensable for any department of classical archaeology. On Evans' death in 1941, the British School of Archaeology assumed responsibility for the excavation, later turning the property over to the Greek government, while retaining excavation rights. Evans' chronological framework had triple divisions each triply divided, a formula that has been retained, thus Early Minoan (EM) I, II and III, Middle Minoan (MM) I, II and III etc. Each subsection he divided into A and B, early and late. In 1918 Alan J. B. Wace and Carl Blegen adapted Evans' chronology to the Greek mainland and the islands, where the