The Minoic Period started in 2800BC on the island of Crete. It got its name from king Minos. It is unknown where the founders of this civilization came from. The principal products of Crete in this era are corn, grapes, olives, sheep, goats and ox's. The Cretans were famous for their skills in building castles and ships. Many of the cities of Crete in this era were single castles or clusters of castles with very little defence. The Cretans used a primative hieroglyphic writing system which later evolved into Linear A. The Minoic period ended in 1500BC when a nearby volcano destroyed the ship building industry and destroyed the islands crops.