After the final destruction of about 1380, none of the Minoan palaces were re-inhabited. Not even the palace of Idomeneus, the king of Knossos who took part in the Trojan War with his friend Meriones and 80 ships, has been discovered. A great number of Mycenean centres are known, however, now spread throughout the whole of Crete, with most of them existing through into Greek times (Kydonia, Polyrrhenia, Kissamos, Knossos, Cortys, Phaestos, Lyktos, Arkadia, and Rhytion).

The basis of the new civilisation was Minoan, but its spirit was archaic Greek, and it showed a tendency towards an architectural structure and uniformity. The labyrinthine buildings were replaced by the austere Mycenean megaron, the predominant pottery style was the so-called "Mycenean koine", in which the same shapes were continually repeated, with simple decoration and the frescoes lost their former freedom and vigour. In the sphere of plastic clay art, there were large, impressive clay figurines, but even these were schematic and rigid. There was no substantial change in religion or cult. The last phase of this period was a time of decline and disorder. The forerunners of the Dorians began to arrive in Crete, for a number of new cultural features make their appearance in sporadic fashion: cremation of the dead, for example, iron weapons and tools, brooches - which display a new style of dress and geometric decorative motifs.