Four thousand years ago, three Mediterranean islands were dominated by two distinct ancient civilizations. Sardinia was occupied by the Nuragic people, who would remain in power until the Roman Empire’s arrival in 238 B.C. Farther east, Cyprus and Crete were occupied by the Minoans, whose sophisticated art, building complexes, and writing systems made them the first advanced civilization in Europe. The exhibition brings together 200 objects from the three islands, antiquities that include clay-modeled humans, deities, sphinxes, and even striking Nuragic bronze votive figurines. Many of these pieces are on view for the first time in the U.K. —Elena Clavarino