Whereas recent studies have correctly identified a clan-based social structure presumed in the place names of the Samaria Ostraca (Schloen, 2001; Niemann, 2008), the specific economic ramifications remain largely underdeveloped. An anthropological analysis of the commodities of “aged wine” (Suriano, 2007) and “fine oil” (Sasson, 1981; Stager, 1985) suggests that the economic significance of these items is closely tied to complex social interactions. Specifically, both archaeological and ethnographic studies associate such prestige commodities to elite feasting and ceremonial displays (Brumfiel, 1987, 1989; Sherratt, 1987, 1991, 1995). By recognizing the notions of status and value within these elite goods, the Samaria Ostraca point to a socially-embedded economy with elements of both redistribution and surplus.