The Mediterranean was the "melting crucible" of the Ancient World: Hittites, Hurrians, Phoenicians, Minoans, Hellenes, partly Egyptians, Asia Minor Celts, Ligurs, Etruscans, finally Romans - all these peoples and tribes, even while maintaining "cultural autonomy," made a significant contribution to the formation of a single Mediterranean culture, culminating in the culture of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rima.