Cyclades

The Cyclades are a group of islands in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece, consisting of about 220 islands, with the major ones being Amorgos, Andros, Delos, Ios, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, and Syros. The islands are known for their distinct Neolithic culture, which arose before 4000 BCE, based on emmer and wild-type barley, sheep and goats, pigs, and tuna that were speared from small boats. The Late Cycladic culture is famous for its schematic, flat sculptures carved out of white marble, which have been looted from burials to satisfy a thriving antiquities market. The Cyclades have a complex history, with the islands fading into insignificance with the rise of Crete's palace culture, except for Delos, which retained its archaic reputation as a sanctuary. The islands have been excavated since the 19th century, with the first archaeological excavations undertaken by antiquaries in the 1880s, and have been popular with tourists in recent decades, resulting in problems with erosion, pollution, and water shortages.learn more on wikipedia