Move Over Industrial: On the Economics of the NEOLITHIC Revolution

Probably to a greater extent than interesting is i of our before looks at neolithic inequality, run across afterwards the jump.

From ANN (Archaeology News Network):

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 long-standing fence inwards the acre of cultural evolution has revolved unopen to the interrogation of how as well as why human societies larn to a greater extent than hierarchical. Some theorize that textile changes to a society's resources or subsistence strategies atomic number 82 it to larn to a greater extent than hierarchical; others believe that hierarchy is the drive rather than the effect of these changes. Many run across the respond every bit existence somewhere on the spectrum betwixt these ii extremes. In monastic tell to examine these theories, a grouping of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History as well as the University of Auckland examined 155 Austronesian societies, the results of which are published inwards the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Diverse societies with similar cultural ancestry
The societies examined had a geographical gain stretching from Taiwan to New Zealand, Republic of Madagascar to Easter Island. They are every bit good various inwards price of social stratification as well as agricultural practices, making them a skillful jibe for the study. "The Pacific is an ideal setting to examine these ideas," explains senior writer Quentin Atkinson, of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History as well as the University of Auckland. "It's similar a giant natural experiment with populations spread across hundreds of islands with dissimilar political institutions as well as modes of subsistence. And nosotros know the cultural ancestry of these populations because it is encoded inwards the languages they speak." 

These societies varied from egalitarian to rigidly stratified, as well as their agricultural systems ranged from alongside the to the lowest degree intensive to the most intensive inwards the pre-modern globe - the rice terraces built past times the Ifugao people of the Philippines accept oftentimes been described every bit the "eighth wonder of the world."

Intensive agriculture as well as social hierarchies inwards a feedback loop
The results of the study showed that in that place was non a unproblematic causal connection betwixt changes inwards a society's agency of agriculture as well as increasing hierarchy. Although inwards many cases agricultural intensification appeared to coevolve with sociopolitical hierarchy, inwards other cases, these traits appeared independently of each other. When both traits did appear, it was non e'er the instance that intensive agriculture came first. "There's a widely held thought that textile changes to the surroundings drive social evolution as well as non the reverse," states Atkinson. "Our findings challenge that thought as well as demo that the causal arrow genuinely goes both ways."...MORE

Previously:

To Create Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 "1%" In Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Social Hierarchy You Don't Need An Economic Surplus, Just Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Storable Form Of Wealth
So in that place I was, reading the abstract of "Hazelnut economic scheme of early on Holocene hunter–gatherers: a instance study from Mesolithic Duvensee, northern Germany", thinking virtually Nutella as well as Frangelico when this grabbed my eye:

...High-resolution analyses of the excellently preserved as well as well-dated special chore camps documented inwards special at Duvensee, Northern Germany, offering an outstanding chance for instance studies on Mesolithic subsistence as well as dry ground role strategies. Quantification of the nut utilisation demonstrates the non bad importance of hazelnuts. These studies revealed real high provide rates as well as permit for absolute assessments of the evolution of early on Holocene economy. Stockpiling of the unloose energy rich resources as well as an increased logistical capacity are innovations characterising an intensified early on Mesolithic dry ground use...

Stockpiling, storage, commodities, good that's correct inwards our wheelhouse,* as well as if I tin laissez passer the sack combine it with the concluding remnants of involvement inwards Piketty's approach to inequality.....maybe I tin laissez passer the sack synthesize something halfway original...

Yeah, it's already been done—Cereals, appropriability, as well as hierarchy... —....MORE

Related:
Following Up On "Commodity traders superior to chimpanzees": The Importance of Pockets

We left Thursday's "Commodity traders superior to chimpanzees, enquiry shows" with the observation that whatever wages commodity traders had over their simian cousins could likely endure ascribed to pockets or other forms of storage:

...The study becomes specially readable when it speculates on the reasons why [chimps are lousy traders]: because of their lack of belongings ownership norms...

...or, for that matter, pockets.... ...chimpanzees inwards nature produce non shop belongings as well as so would accept lilliputian chance to merchandise commodities...

And to a greater extent than dryly:

Move Over Industrial: On the Economics of the NEOLITHIC Revolution