The earth itself plays a major part in steering civilizations. tectonic activity has massive geological and climatological consequences. The minerals thus made available, especially metals, allow crucial technology, such as tools and weapons, vital for most fields of cultural life. Preghistoric periods are even named after some of these: Cupper and Bronze Age. The tin for the last was far harder to find then copper (named after Cyrus) for booming Mediterranean civilizations, which spurred maritime commerce at great distance, as far as Britain Scandinavia. Pioneering Minoian Crete was wiped out when the nearby volcanic island Thera (present Santorini) exploded.
—KGF Vissers