There is too little information to be conclusive, but some people consider Minoan civilization to be remarkable for its almost completely unmilitary character. Furthermore, the Cretan "palaces", such as Knossos, might not in fact have been centers of monarchial or theocratic power, as there was no effort to glorify any one person or even group of persons as rulers or elite (other than, perhaps, goddess priestesses). The so-called "throne room" (so named by discoverer Arthur Evans) was hardly "fit for a king". And the complex itself, lacking fortifications but endowed with a thousand interlocking rooms and storerooms and extremely sophisticated plumbing (including flush toilets and bathtubs) and courtyards, was less a castle than a resort cum warehouse cum factory cum office building. An ancient club-med/community center/city hall?
I agree, the world norm has always been hierarchy, exploitation, and oppression. But it's nice to dream that ancient Crete supported one society that beat the odds and came up with something fairer, egalitarian, without repression, slavery and warfare. Truth unfolds in time through a communal process.
The Edo era Japan was peaceful 200 years, actually. But the role of elites was clearly not modest.
