Norman Ohler

And no one can explain so far

Why there on Crete?

Suddenly in Europe, they started making amazing structures and amazing art.

And how did it happen there that this like totally backwards place, Crete became, I mean, backwards as any other place, you know, why did it happen there?

that such intricate objects were being made and that the culture was developing so intensely.

And I was kind of thinking about that.

That's how the book started.

I was with my kids on vacation in Crete.

And if you go to like Knossos or Festos, the big archaeological sites, or to the museum in Heraklion, you don't find an answer.

Why did it happen there?

And then

I found like an old book in an old bookshop and it described an excavation site at the sea and that it was like maybe a maritime place where like a harbor basically.

And then while I was swimming there, I found on the sea floor, the remnants of a wall that was a harbor wall that was out

that was breaking the waves.

And then I climbed over the fence because the archeological site is still fenced off.

Like it's not explained officially what it is.

And the walls in there are the biggest walls of the whole bronze era.

And it was actually quite a big harbor.

And then the next step is what did they trade?

And they traded olive oil because Crete was the first place to produce olive oil.