Crete
The Bronze Age culture is termed "Minoan" after the legendary king Minos. The EBA is referred to as the Early Minoan (abbreviated EM) period and is subdivided into EM I, II, and III. The MBA is termed the Middle Minoan (abbreviated MM) period and is subdivided into MM IA, IB, IIA-B (only at the palaces of Knossos, Phaistos, and Mallia), IIIA, and IIIB. The LBA is called the Late Minoan (abbreviated LM) period and is subdivided into LM IA, IB, II, IIIA1-2, IIIB, and IIIC. The following Subminoan period is the earliest phase of the Iron Age. The Minoan "palaces" were first built at the beginning of MM IB; all of them except that at Knossos were destroyed and abandoned in LM IB; the "palace" at Knossos suffers at least two additional destructions in early LM IIIA2 and LM IIIB before finally going out of use.
An alternative framework for Minoan chronology is based on major changes in social organization connected with the building, rebuilding, and abandonment of the major architectural complexes at Knossos, Phaistos, Mallia, and Zakro which are invariably referred to as "palaces":