The culture based around the principal city of Minoan Crete, near the port of Heraklion. The area was occupied from neolithic times until c.1200 bc. Excavations by Sir Arthur Evans from 1900 onwards revealed remains of a luxurious and spectacular decorated complex of buildings which he named the Palace of Minos, with frescoes of landscapes, animal life, and the sport of bull-leaping. In c.1450 bc Crete was overrun by the Mycenaeans, but the palace was not finally destroyed until the 14th century or early 13th century bc, possibly by an earthquake. The city was destroyed by the Romans in 68–67 bc.