Knodell & Leppard/Regional Approaches, 2. The Development of Complex Society on Crete

There has long been debate over both (1) the timescale and analytical approach to the development of the first ‘palaces’ (and state-like civilization) on Crete, and (2) the primacy of internal processes versus external factors in this transformation. John F. Cherry argued forcefully for a critical approach, whereas others have pursued more creative lines often assuming we can fill in or amplify missing or partial evidence. This paper returns to the topic more than three decades after Cherry’s (1983) evolution or revolution scholarly grenade. It reviews the history of scholarship and investigates aspects of the relevant timescale/process, issues of scale/analysis, and the question of the balance between internal versus external causation.