Europe's First Advanced Civilization, The Minoans, Were In Fact European: A Study

The origins of the ancient Minoans who inhabited the the island of Crete have long been shrouded in history with speculations varying anywhere from North Africa to the Balkans. However, through analyzing the mitochondrial DNA taken from skeletal materials from a cave dating between 4,400 and 3,700 years old, scientists discovered they were in fact most closely related to Neolithic and modern European populations as well as the modern inhabitants of the region where the remains were found.