The economic relations of religious and political organisations and social groups in the Mycenaean world
The Mycenaean Linear B documents are exclusively economic and administrative records and tell us little or nothing about the nature of Mycenaean religion. They do, however, yield economic information relating to the religious sphere. Mycenaean palaces provided economic support for cult through the presentation of offerings, state sponsorship of ceremonial feasts and religious festivals, and through typical Mycenaean elite maintenance systems such as the allocation of land tenure and produce from state-controlled industries. These economic aspects of religion are recorded in the Linear B tablets and can be used in conjunction with archaeological data to investigate the place of religion more generally in Mycenaean palace society. References to religion are very frequent in the tablets, creating the impression that cult activities consumed a large proportion of palatial resources. Moreover, some aspects of political structure (such as kingship) and economy (especially industrial manufacture) appear to be specially tied to religion, which has led some scholars to speak in terms of sacral-political syncretism and even a 'temple economy'. Detailed investigation of the Linear B evidence does not bear out such notions.
Bendall, L. M.
The economic relations of religious and political organisations and social groups in the Mycenaean world. The Mycenaean Linear B documents are exclusively economic and administrative records and tell us little or nothing about the nature of Mycenaean religion. They do, however, yield economic information relating to the religious sphere. Mycenaean palaces provided economic support for cult through the presentation of offerings, state sponsorship of ceremonial feasts and religious festivals, and through typical Mycenaean elite maintenance systems such as the allocation of land tenure and produce from state-controlled industries. These economic aspects of religion are recorded in the Linear B tablets and can be used in conjunction with archaeological data to investigate the place of religion more generally in Mycenaean palace society. References to religion are very frequent in the tablets, creating the impression that cult activities consumed a large proportion of palatial resources. Moreover, some aspects of political structure (such as kingship) and economy (especially industrial manufacture) appear to be specially tied to religion, which has led some scholars to speak in terms of sacral-political syncretism and even a 'temple economy'. Detailed investigation of the Linear B evidence does not bear out such notions.
economic relation religious_political organisation social_group mycenaean_world mycenaean linear document exclusively economic administrative record tell little nothing nature mycenaean religion however yield economic information_relate religious_sphere mycenaean_palace provide economic support cult presentation offering state sponsorship ceremonial feast religious_festival typical mycenaean elite maintenance system allocation land_tenure produce state controlled industry economic aspect religion record linear tablet use_conjunction archaeological_data investigate place religion generally mycenaean_palace society religion frequent tablet create_impression cult activity consume large_proportion palatial resource moreover aspects political_structure kingship economy especially industrial manufacture appear specially tie religion lead scholar speak term sacral political syncretism even temple economy detailed_investigation linear evidence bear notion