Labour Costs and Neopalatial Architecture. A Study of the Buildings at Klimataria-Manares and Achladia and the Palace at Gournia

Devolder, Maud
(2012) Minoan Realities. Theory-based Approaches to Images and Built Spaces as Indicators of Minoan Social Structures — ISBN: [978-2-87588-100-7], p. 165-179, published

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  • Devolder, Maudorcid-logoUCLouvain
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Abstract
The existing Neopalatial architectural typology, as presented by McEnroe, is mainly based on a description of the formal and conceptual traits offered by the buildings. As such, a general material and technical simplicity, most often explained as the result of physical determinism, characterises vernacular architecture, and this in radical opposition to the so-called polite architecture . The main features of this latter style are the presence of architectural units illustrating respect for architectural trends , not unrelated to the social status of the users or inhabitants, and the use of ostentatious building materials. The visual impact of such specific choices has been stressed since the beginning of the history of Minoan archaeology, as is clear from the oft quoted comment of Seager concerning the ashlar façade of Gournia, an edifice considered in more detail further on in this paper. Seager labelled it a veneer of elegance to impress the passer-by . Several studies have since considered these polite architectural features, their specific traits, their modifications and adaptations, and their diffusion, notably by considering the circulation, in Crete but also elsewhere in the Aegean, of itinerant craftsmen, and the possible active reactions against specific ideologically charged architectural units . Beyond the description of the physical traits of Minoan architecture and their role in the classification of buildings into distinct categories, this essay explores a quantitative approach to Minoan architecture, based on a study of the labour costs generated by the erection of a series of buildings. This approach, sometimes dubbed ‘architectural energetics’, offers a series of estimates of the time necessary to accomplish the diverse architectural tasks involved in building an edifice. The clearing and levelling of buildings sites, the supply of materials – whether through collection or extraction –, their transport and finishing, the erection of walls and the making of ceilings and roofs can be studied according to the time necessary for their completion, which is usually expressed in man-hours (henceforth m-h). In this study, I first detail some of the specificities of the method and then focus on the implication for Neopalatial architecture, by studying three specific cases. The specific purpose of this paper is to highlight the insights offered by such a quantitative approach for the built form and the factors at play during its production. I especially focus here on the material and technical choices of the builders, on the setting of the costs into the historical context, and on the workforce involved in the building project.
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Devolder, M. (2012). Labour Costs and Neopalatial Architecture. A Study of the Buildings at Klimataria-Manares and Achladia and the Palace at Gournia. In D. Panagiotopoulos et U. Günkel-Maschek (éds) (ed.), Minoan Realities. Theory-based Approaches to Images and Built Spaces as Indicators of Minoan Social Structures (p. p. 165-179). Presses universitaires de Louvain. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/191729