Home Region: Southeastern Europe (Europe)

Archaic Crete

710 BCE 500 BCE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 gr_crete_archaic / GrCrArc

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

1000 BCE 710 BCE Geometric Crete (gr_crete_geometric) [continuity]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

500 BCE 323 BCE Classical Crete (gr_crete_classical) [continuity]

General Description

Crete is a large island in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Archaic Crete (7th-6th centuries) is divided in the following periods: Orientalizing or Daedalic or Early Archaic (710-600 BCE) and Archaic Archaic (600-500).
There was no capital city as Crete was divided into territorial entities, each one centered upon a city that served as the main political and economic centre of its well-defined region. Political, military and religious control was exercised by the Kosmoi, a board of 3 to 10 annually elected nobles. ^[1] ^[1]
No information could be found in the sources consulted regarding the polity’s overall population, however the largest settlement, Knossos, is estimated to have housed about 4,000 people.

[1]: Lembesi, A. 1987. "Η Κρητών Πολιτεία," in Panagiotakis, N. (ed.), Κρήτη: Ιστορία και Πολιτισμός, Heraklion, 166-72.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

1 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

2 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

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	Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic) was in:
(710 BCE 501 BCE)	Crete

Home NGA: Crete

General Variables

Identity and Location Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	35 S	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Original Name	Archaic Crete	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Capital	None (Absent Capital)	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Alternative Name	Doric Crete	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	650 BCE
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Duration	[710 BCE ➜ 500 BCE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	none	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Supracultural Entity	Archaic Greece	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Succeeding Entity	Classical Crete	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Preceding Entity 1000 BCE 710 BCE	Geometric Crete (gr_crete_geometric) [continuity]
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Succeeding Entity 500 BCE 323 BCE	Classical Crete (gr_crete_classical) [continuity]
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Degree of Centralization	quasi-polity	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Language Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Indo-European	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Language	Doric Greek	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Religion Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	4,000 people	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Polity Territory	167 km²	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Polity Population	- Suspected	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	[1 to 5]	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Religious Level	5	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Military Level	5	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Administrative Level	5	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Professions Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Law Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Judge	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Formal Legal Code	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Court	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Irrigation System	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Food Storage Site	Unknown	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Port	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Canal	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Bridge	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Information / Writing System Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Script	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Sacred Text	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Religious Literature	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Practical Literature	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Philosophy	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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History	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Fiction	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Calendar	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Information / Money Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Precious Metal	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Paper Currency	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Indigenous Coin	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Foreign Coin	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Article	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Information / Postal System Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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General Postal Service	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Courier	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Moat	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Earth Rampart	Unknown Suspected	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Ditch	Unknown Suspected	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Complex Fortification	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Long Wall	absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Military use of Metals Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Iron	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Copper	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Bronze	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Projectiles Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Sling	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Self Bow	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Javelin	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Crossbow	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Composite Bow	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Atlatl	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Handheld weapons Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Sword	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Spear	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Polearm	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Dagger	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Battle Axe	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Elephant	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Donkey	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Camel	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Armor Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Shield	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Plate Armor	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Limb Protection	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Leather Cloth	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Helmet	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Chainmail	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Breastplate	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Naval technology Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent	710 BCE 500 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Archaic Crete (gr_crete_archaic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More