The period after the end of the Bronze Age, the so-called `Dark Ages" has always been a highly debated subject in Aegean archaeology. In this study, Krzysztof Nowicki collates more than 15 years of research into defensible sites in Crete, and includes detailed descriptions of sites, sketches and plans, which make them easier to locate, as well as details on the surface finds. The sites are arranged chronologically and then in geographical areas, and the evidence discussed is used to present a historical summary of this turbulent period of population shifts, crisis, war and destruction. Much more than a catalogue of sites, this study places the evidence from Crete within the historical and archaeological context of the Aegean and other areas of the Mediterranean.