Was there a European civilization named "Minoan."

 What happened to the Minoans?

Volcanic explosion. Three and a half thousand years ago, the tiny Aegean island of Thera was devastated by one of the worst natural disasters since the Ice Age - a huge volcanic eruption. This cataclysm happened 100km from the island of Crete, the home of the thriving Minoan civilisation...  How did Minoans develop wealth?  ...Minoans were the first to develop in the Aegean region. Trade was an import. They traded pottery and stones vases from ivory and metals. Minoan ships patrolled the eastern Mediterranean Sea to protect trade from pirates. ...When did the Minoan civilization end?  Minoan civilization declined by the late 15th century B.C., but the exact cause is unknown. One theory is that the volcanic eruption on Thera damaged other cities along Minoan trade routes, which hurt Crete economically.

Until today, the scientific world is trying to explain and reconstruct the sequence of events that lead to the destruction of the Island of Thira (Santorini) and probably devastated the Minoan Civilization. The Volcanic ash from the Santorini Volcano covered Akrotiri in Thira and reached the Cretan shores.