You can read a tablet line (Reading a Tablet Line). Now step back and look at thousands of them together. What were the palaces keeping track of, and what does that tell us about how they worked?
Key idea
| What is recorded | Typical logograms | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Flocks of sheep and their wool | 𐂇 𐂆 𐂝 | A huge wool and cloth industry, especially at Knossos |
| Women workers and their children, with rations | 𐂁 𐂎 | Groups of workers fed by the palace, with their trades named |
| Bronze handed out to smiths | 𐂚 | Metal given to bronzesmiths (ka-ke-u) to work up |
| Oil, often perfumed | 𐂕 | A perfume industry, and oil sent as offerings |
| Chariots, wheels and armor | 𐃍 𐃏 | Military equipment kept and issued, especially at Knossos |
| Land and who holds it | (words and measures) | Who owed what to the palace |
In and out
Scholars often describe the palace economy as redistributive: goods flowed into the palace as taxes or dues and flowed out again as rations, raw materials for craftsmen and offerings. The tablets show this in action. A shepherd owes so many sheep; a group of women is given so much wheat and figs; a smith receives so much bronze and is expected to return finished work. The palaces did not control everything, though; many activities, such as most pottery making, barely appear in the records.
Why it works
Common mistake
Worked example: Add a list
- 12 + 8 = 20.
- 20 + 15 = 35.
- 35 + 5 = 40.
Answer: 40
Worked example: What kind of record?
- AES is bronze.
- Each smith receives an amount by weight.
Answer: Bronze handed out to smiths.