The first human settlements in Greece date back to the 7th millennium BC. The Minoan civilisation, which developed on the island of Crete, flourished between 2700 and 1400 BC. The Mycenaean civilisation, which developed on the mainland of Greece, flourished between 1600 and 1100 BC.
The first human settlements in Italy date back to the 9th millennium BC. The Etruscan civilisation, which developed in central Italy, flourished between the 8th and 5th centuries BC. The Roman civilisation, which developed in central Italy, flourished between the 1st century BC and the 5th century AD.