The Ancient Minoans lived in modern-day southern Iraq. The economy of the Minoan mercantilist civilizations depended upon trading goods such as saffron, grapes/wine, pottery, oil, precious metals and figs with Syria, Cyprus, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and the Iberian Peninsula.
Minoans were successful with this strong and mostly agricultural trade due to the production of roads and a strong (and greatly feared) navy. The economic trade of agricultural goods aided the Ancient Minoans in spreading their culture, exerting power and influence, and distributing goods both at home between the palace to citizens and in foreign lands.