Economy > Minoan Economy

Minoan Economy

Background

Archaeologists use evidence of Minoan pithoi storage containers and a lack of evidence for marketplaces to suggest that the Minoans engaged in a type of resource distribution. However, much like modern iterations of Communism, the re-distribution system of the Minoans actually just resulted in a constant flow of wealth over time from the lower and middle classes to the upper class. The evidence that the author gives for the re-distributive nature of the Minoan economy is that there is a lack of marketplaces coupled with the size of the storerooms in the palace complexes. However, one piece of evidence that the author uses which may be suspect is the inference that the Minoan economy would be characteristic of the later Mycenaean Greek economy.

Despite this, during the Proto-Palatial Period, archaeologists believe that the palaces were used to collect resources likely in the form of taxes that would later be distributed in a time of crisis. However, by the Neo-Palatial Period the palace economy had become oriented towards the elite with an ever-growing economic rift between the rich and the poor. Instead of the resources being used to benefit society as a whole, during this period they were mostly enjoyed by the elite. The lack of real tangible evidence for the Minoan re-distribution economy is supplemented with the discovery of the Mycenaean Linear B tablets which do provide evidence for this type of setup.

Although during the Early Minoan Period it was noted that this is the first major appearance of Minoan pithoi food storage containers. However, the author even admits there is a lack of real data for the Neolithic and Early Minoan Period (1900-1700 BC) in regards to their food storage and capacity. The author then goes on to examine several settlements where storage containers have been found such as at Hagia Photia and the Early Hypogeum at Knossos. Overall it is noted that the personal storage capacity of each household was very small although there is a noted limitation due to the lack of fully excavated and explored Minoan sites and possibility of organic, perishable storage containers.

Moving into the Proto-Palatial Period archaeologists note the appearance of massive subterranean chambers known as kouloures which have significant storage capacity. By the Neo-Palatial Period (1700-1425 BC) these storage chambers were not used as much which leads archaeologists to interpret this shift from a communal based re-distributive system to one focused on benefiting the elites. There is some contending evidence that these were not granaries and represented something else although this purpose is not defined. However, it was noted that there was a presence of massive storerooms in central buildings and wealthy non-palatial homes which suggest this phenomena of the economic system benefiting the elite. Other evidence that supports the idea of a centralized, re-distributive economy is the discovery of the Knossos Linear B Tablets as well.

Following the destruction of the Minoan civilization during the Late Minoan IB Period (1425 BC), there is not much available archaeological material as only the palace at Knossos really survived. Overall, it seems like despite a lack of clear archaeological material the argument can still be made that the Minoans engaged in a re-distributive style economy. Just like modern versions of Communism, this Minoan economic system eventually resulted in the massive transfer of wealth from the poor and middle class to the elites who then use these resources to maintain political, social, economic and cultural power.

Often the idea is benevolent in the start, with the goal of providing for the citizens in the wake of a natural disaster. However, after periods of complacency where no crises happen, these resources are consumed by the elite instead. When a natural disaster does devastate the civilization there may not be enough stored resources to aid the population and they may turn on the government for not upholding their promises to the citizenry. Much like the social unrest that would occur today if the government told working taxpayers that they would discontinue social security payments despite people paying into this their entire lives.

Greek Economy