Landscapes of power in Protopalatial Crete: new evidence from Galatas, Pediada

Giorgos Rethemiotakis & Kostis S. Christakis Studi Micenei ed Egeo-Anatolici 53 (2011): 195-218.

Από την εισαγωγή (στα Αγγλικά)

A series of complex socio-economic changes led to the emergence of the first polities on Crete at the beginning of the 19th c. BCE. The social and political organization of these early political formations was, and still is, the focus of vivid discussion, especially after the integration of relevant theoretical thinking. According to a long-established narrative, during the 150 years of the Protopalatial period these polities strengthened their position and formed a complex ideological, economic, and cultural setting over extensive territories. The distinctive materialization of this new socio-political order was the monumental court-centred building generally known as a ‘palace’. Palaces used to be regarded as seats of centralized hierarchies, integrating and controlling eco­nomic, political and ritual activities. This narrative has now been questioned, and it has been argued that the political landscape of palatial polities was less hierar­chical that hitherto assumed, with socio-political affairs influenced by different elite groups operating around the palace.