The Minoan palaces were multifunctional centers that held fundamental economic significance. The concept of redistribution has previously been central to describing the Minoan economy. It was assumed that goods were collected at a central location, namely in the palace, and then redistributed to the population - including staple foods. However, the quantitative analysis of storage rooms in the palaces and elite households of the Old and New Palace periods, that is, the Middle Bronze Age and early Late Bronze Age, in Crete has shown that subsistence economy was apparently not as heavily involved in redistribution as previously thought.