Europe's first advanced civilisation was local in origin and not imported from elsewhere, a study says. Analysis of DNA from ancient remains on the Greek island of Crete suggests the Minoans were indigenous Europeans, shedding new light on a debate over the provenance of this ancient culture.

From Minoan monuments to relics of the Second World War, a family holiday in Crete is the ultimate history lesson

Disguised as dockers, two men darted across the no-go zone around the harbour and cut through the wire. They slipped on to the quayside, where enemy vessels bobbed in the dark. Their rucksacks were heavy with limpet mines. Searchlights swept the area. They wondered which ship to blow.