There is no period in recorded history where an economy was dominated with a number of small players of roughly equal status in competition for an extended dura

There is no period in recorded history where an economy was dominated with a number of small players of roughly equal status in competition for an extended duration. 5,000 years of human history is roughly as long as we have the concept of an economy. Before that, you had access to the people in your immediate vicinity and "competition" for services was not a concept.