Ancient Greek civilization is believed to have originated on the island of Crete

.Ancient Greek civilization is believed to have originated on the island of Crete. It is unclear when the island was first settled, but there are archeological remains dating as far back as 5000 B.C.. The general concensus is that the first wave of settlers came from Anatolia and Africa, followed by another wave of settlers from Asia around 2600 B.C.. This second wave brought with it highly developed artistic skills. These new settlers interbred with the previous inhabitants, and as a result Minoan culture, a precursor of Greek civilization, was born.