Home Region:  Southeastern Europe (Europe)

New Palace Crete

1700 BCE 1450 BCE
EQ 2020  gr_crete_new_palace / GrCrNPa
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  General Description  
Crete is a large island in the Eastern Mediterranean. Here we consider the phase of its history best known as the Neopalatial Era. This period followed a series of conflagrations at the end of the Old Palace era (1700 BCE), which affected almost all Cretan sites. Little agreement exists about the causes of these destructions. Although it has been generally argued that these were possibly caused by earthquake, the senario of war conflicts among major political centers of the period cannot be excluded. [1] [2] The Neopalatial era ended, in 1450, in a similar way to the previous phase: the central complexes (except for the one at Knossos), many important buildings and whole settlements were violently damaged by fire and abandoned, and the Cretan presence in the Aegean and the Near East came to an end. The causes of these destructions have also been a topic of vivid debate: a massive natural disaster (earthquake), war, internal disruption or system collapse have all been suggested as possible explanations [3] , though perhaps human rather than natural causes are more likely [4] .
Population and Political Organization
Some scholars argue that, during the Neopatial period, the island was divided into small independent "states" centered upon large monumental complexes generally known as "palaces" [5] [6] [7] [8] Others favour the notion of a Knossian hegemony, that is, the notion that Crete was politically unified under the control of the ruler at Knossos [9] [10] [11] Yet other have favored the idea of independent political formations emulating Knossos [12] [13] [14]
The population of Crete at this time has been estimated at 242,000 [15] , 216,000-271,000 [16] and 260,000 [17] . As for Knossos, the largest urban centre in the whole of Prehistoric Greece, Whitelaw estimated Knossian population to 25,000-30,000 people replacing his previous estimate of 14,000-18,000 individuals [18] [19]

[1]: (La Rosa 1999, 81-89) V. La Rosa. 1999. "Πολιτική εξουσία και σεισμικές καταστροφές στη Μινωική Κρήτη: η περίπτωση της Φαιστού" in Κρήτες Θαλασσοδρόμοι, edited by A. Karetou. Heraklion

[2]: (Cadogan 2014, 43-54) G. Cadogan. 2014. "War in the Cretan Bronze Age: the realism of Stylianos Alexiou". Kritika Chronika 34: 43-54.

[3]: (Driessen and Macdonald 1997, 106-109) Jan Driessen. and Colin F. Macdonald. 1997. The Troubled Island. Minoan Crete Before and After the Santorini Eruption. Liège: Université de Liège, Histoire de l’art et archéologie de la Grèce antique; Austin: University of Texas at Austin, Program in Aegean Scripts and Prehistory

[4]: (Christakis 2008, 144-146) Kostis S. Christakis. 2008. The Politics of Storage. Storage and Sociopolitical Complexity in Neopalatial Crete. Philadelphia, Pa.: INSTAP Academic Press.

[5]: (Cherry 1986, 19-45) John F. Cherry. 1986. “Polities and palaces: some problems in the Minoan state formation,” in Peer-Polity Interaction and Socio-Political Change, edited by Colin Renfrew and John F. Cherry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[6]: (Bennet 1990, 193-211) John Bennet. 1990. "Knossos in context: comparative perspectives on the Linear B administration of LM II-III Crete." American Journal of Archaeology 94: 193-211

[7]: (Christakis 2008, 2-7) Kostis S. Christakis. 2008. The Politics of Storage. Storage and Sociopolitical Complexity in Neopalatial Crete. Philadelphia: INSTAP Academic Press.

[8]: (Bevan 2010, 27-54) Andrew Bevan. 2010. "Political geography and palatial Crete." Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology 23: 27-54.

[9]: (Betts 1967, 15-40) John H. Betts. 1967. " New light on Minoan bureaucracy. A reexamination of some Cretan seals." Kadmos 6: 15-40

[10]: (Hallager and Hallager 1996, 547-556) E. and B.P. Hallager. 1996. "The Knossian bull-political propaganda in Neo-palatial Crete," in POLITEIA. Society and State in the Aegean Bronze Age. Proceedings of the 5th International Aegean Conference, Heidelberg, 10-13 April 1994, edited by Robert Laffineur and Wolf-Dietrich Niemeier. Liège: Université de Liège, Histoire de l’art et archéologie de la Grèce antique; Austin: University of Texas at Austin, Program in Aegean Scripts and Prehistory

[11]: (Wiener 2007, 231-242) M.W. Wiener. 2007. "Neopalatial Knossos: rule and role" in Krinoi kai Limenes. Studies in Honor of Joseph and Maria Shaw, edited by Philip Betancourt, Michael Nelson and Hector Williams. Philadelphia: INSTAP Academic Press

[12]: (Schoep 1999, 201-221) Ilse Schoep. 1999. "Tables and territories: reconstructing Late Minoan IB political territories throughout undeciphered documents." American Journal of Archaeology 103: 201-21

[13]: (Soles 1995, 405-414) J.S. Soles. 1995. "The function of a cosmological center: Knossos in palatial Crete" in POLITEIA. Society and State in the Aegean Bronze Age. Proceedings of the 5th International Aegean Conference, Heidelberg, 10-13 April 1994, edited by Robert Laffineur and Wolf-Dietrich Niemeier. Liège: Université de Liège, Histoire de l’art et archéologie de la Grèce antique; Austin: University of Texas at Austin, Program in Aegean Scripts and Prehistory

[14]: (Knappett and Schoep 2000, 365-371) Carl Knappett and Ilse Schoep. 2000. "Continuity and change in Minoan political power," Antiquity 74: 365-71.

[15]: (Branigan 2000, 38-50) Keith Branigan. 2000. "Aspects of Minoan urbanism," in Urbanism in the Aegean Bronze Age, edited by Keith Branigan. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.

[16]: (Rackham and Moody 1999, 97) Oliver Rackham and Jennifer Alice Moody. 1999. The Making of the Cretan Landscape, Manchester: Manchester University Press.

[17]: (Renfrew 1972, 249) Colin Renfrew. 1972. The Emergence of Civilization, London: Oxbow Books

[18]: (Whitelaw 2004, 147-158) Todd Whitelaw. 2004. "Estimating the population of Neopalatial Knossos" in Knossos: Palace, City, State: Proceedings of the Conference in Herakleion organized by the British School at Athens and the 23rd Ephoreia of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of Herakleion, in November 2000, for the Centenary of Sir Arthur Evans’s Excavations at Knossos, edited by Gerald Cadogan, Eleni Hatzaki and Adonis Vasilakis. London: British School of Athens.

[19]: (Whitelaw 2014, 143-144) Todd Whitelaw. 2014. "Political formations in Prehistoric Crete". BICS 57: 143-144.

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.
Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.
Power Transitions Coding in Progress.
Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace) was in:
 (1700 BCE 1451 BCE) Crete
Home NGA: Crete

General Variables
Identity and Location New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Utm Zone 35 S 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Original Name New Palace Crete 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Capital 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Alternative Name Neopalatial Crete 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Alternative Name Crete of the Second Palaces 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Temporal Bounds New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Peak Years
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Duration
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Political and Cultural Relations New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Supracultural Entity Cretan Broze Age Civiliazation or Minoan Civilazation 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Succeeding Entity Monopalatial Crete 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity continuity 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Preceding Entity
continuity; Old Palace Crete [continuity]    Update here
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Degree of Centralization 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Language New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Linguistic Family NO_VALUE_ON_WIKI 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Language 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Religion New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Population of the Largest Settlement 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Polity Territory 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Polity Population 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Settlement Hierarchy 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Religious Level 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Administrative Level 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Professions New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Professional Priesthood 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Specialized Government Building 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Law New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Lawyer Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Judge Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
Court Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Market 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Irrigation System Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Food Storage Site 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Road Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Port Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Canal Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Bridge Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Mines or Quarry 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Information / Writing System New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Written Record Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Script 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Scientific Literature Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Sacred Text Unknown 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Religious Literature Unknown 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Practical Literature Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Philosophy Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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History Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Fiction 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Calendar Unknown 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Information / Money New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Token 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Precious Metal 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Paper Currency Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Indigenous Coin Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Article 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Information / Postal System New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Postal Station Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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General Postal Service Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Courier Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Information / Measurement System New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Stone Walls Non Mortared Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Modern Fortification Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Moat Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Complex Fortification Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Long Wall absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Military use of Metals New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Steel Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Iron Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Copper Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Bronze Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Projectiles New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Tension Siege Engine Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Self Bow 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Javelin Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Handheld Firearm Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Crossbow Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Handheld weapons New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Sword 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Spear 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Polearm Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Dagger 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Battle Axe 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Animals used in warfare New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Elephant Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Camel Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Armor New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Shield 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Scaled Armor Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Plate Armor Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Limb Protection Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Leather Cloth Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Laminar Armor Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Helmet Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Chainmail Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Breastplate Absent 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Naval technology New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc Present 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain 1700 BCE  1450 BCE
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Human Sacrifice New Palace Crete (gr_crete_new_palace)
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Instability Data
Power Transitions