The Palaces of Minoan Crete
The palaces built by the Minoan people of Crete (an island in the eastern Mediterranean) between 1950 B.C. and 1450 B.C. were centers of power, both sacred and secular, with wealth based on the stores of agricultural produce from the fertile hinterland that they controlled. What happened within them? Presumably they were busy places. The receipt, recording, and storage of goods brought in from the surrounding countryside must have been a major job, particularly at those tunes of the year when the corn was harvested, the olive ripe, or the wine newly made. Administration of the goods and commodities leaving the storerooms for consumption in the palace, for use in the workshops, or for wider distribution must have taken place throughout the year. We may imagine the storage areas as busy by day, and probably carefully guarded at night.
