Type of Societies

Type of societies
a. Communal
1. Hunting and gathering (since bipedalism occured) Obtains sustenance primarily via hunting game animals and gathering nuts, berries and other wild plants Held together by a simple division of labor based on age and gender

Type of societies
a. Communal
2. Horticultural (10-13kya)

Cultivation of domestic plants satisfies most needs for food (large scale gardening)

3. Pastoral (10-13kya)
Derive most of their sustenance from raising domesticated animals (Lapps (Scandinavia), Tungus (Siberia), Tuareg (Sahara), Masai (East Africa)

Type of societies
a. Communal
4. Agrarian (6,000 years ago)

Agriculture-based
Technology of food production is such that annual food surpluses are used to support larger populations and permanent settlements

Type of societies
Associational 5. Industrial (18th century) Rely on technology and mechanization as the main source of sustenance; maintain large military establishments for defense; values innovation

Type of societies
Associational 6. Post-industrial (mid-70s) Based primarily on creation and transmitting of specialized knowledge (service occupations); most economically advanced countries (e.g. U.S. in mid-70s)

Type of societies
Associational 7. Transitional (90s) Partly agrarian and partly industrial and whose population members are largely peasants (e.g. China, 80% agrarian but heavily industrialized)

Type of societies
H&G Horti Pastoral Agrarian Industrial Post-industrial Transitional

5mya
10-13kya

10-13kya
6kya 18th
Mid70s

90s

Communal Socities 1. Limited division of labor 2, Family, clan, tribe, and village as basic social units 3. Personalized relationships 4. Economy based on commodities in nearby habitat 5. Overall level of technology is low 6. Political institutions nonbureaucratic 7. Limited system of social stratification 8. Rich ceremonial life 9. Limited contact with other societies 10. Life in communal societies is a. less complex b. less diverse c. more traditional d. more personal 5/10/11

Associational Societies 1. Complex division of labor in all activities 2. Associations, organizations, and corporations as basic units 3. Relationships formalized, transitory, less personal 4. Economy based on manufacturing and related activities 5. Level of technology is high 6. Political institutions complex and bureaucratic 7. Complex stratification- large middle class 8. Rationality prized, diminished role of spirituality 9. Society part of a global network of societies 10. Life in associational societies is a. more complex b. more diverse c. less traditional d. more impersonal

The Neolithic Evolution

In sum, the Neolithic Revolution took about 4000 years from 12kya to 8kya to get under way and was completed by about 5kya when almost all the worlds chief domesticates were established. The Neolithic Revolution is not complete. There are still communities that have not fully given up their hunting and gathering way of life, but they are fewer and fewer each year.

Cultural horizons

With the end of the Ice Age, the consequence was the same across the northern hemisphere: disappearance of the megafauna and broad spectrum focus on hunting and gathering, leading eventually to agriculture. Humans across the world went through similar cultural horizons, though at different times.

The big picture

Note: the cultural horizons were the same in both cases, but independent in time and space. The glacial retreat in the New World and the Old World at different times is the best explanation for this so far.

Myths about agriculture

Agriculture was not invented. It evolved. Agriculture produced a surplus, but this did not lead immediately to the elimination of foraging. Agricultural surplus did not get translated into less work, especially for women. Agriculture did not produce a secure way of life, or a healthy way of life at least not for a long time.

Paleodemography

In fact, life expectancy goes down around the world when hunting and gathering is initially replaced by food production. Surplus creates inequalities, long hours, little leisure, lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality. Studies of modern hunting and gathering societies show that people spend less time in subsistence work, have more leisure, and live as long or longer than village agriculturalists, and practice birth control.

First Demographic Transition

Until 30kya there were perhaps 1m people on Earth. Upper Paleolithic, 3015kya, population may have reached 68m. Broad spectrum period 1510kya, population may have reached 10m.

The concept of civilization

Classical definition: agriculture, writing, monumental architecture, stratification Northwest Coast of North America: stratified society without agriculture Aztecs and Incas: complex societies and monumental architecture without writing.

Hearths of civilization

Bend of the Huang Ho (Shang) 3600ya Indus Valley (Mohenjo Daro and Harappa) 4500ya Nile Valley Tigris-Euphrates Highland Mexico and highland Peru

The origin of the state

In all cases the evolution has been the same: incipient agriculture, a formative period, and a florescent era followed by militarism and cyclical empires. Mohenjo Daro in 4500ya; Shang culture at the bend of the Huang Ho in 3600ya; Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Population concentrated in fertile river valleys; food crops stabilized; surpluses converted to support for specialists, including priests and militarists.

Civilization across the world

Japan Ghana Egypt India Mexico and Peru Southeast Asia Once again, the concept of cultural horizon applies

Domesticates: All by 5kya

Wheat and barley: Middle East Olives: Mediterranean Millet, soybeans: China Rice: Southeast Asia (some yams) Corn: Mexico Sorghum: Africa (some yams, rice)

Cultural horizons in ancient states

In Egypt, there was a century of war and collapse beginning at 4160ya. The eventual reunification was the Middle Kingdom. The same parallel development is seen in Mexico in the development from the Olmecs on the coast of Vera Cruz to the great civilization at Teotihucn in the Valley of Mexico.

The Emergence of States

States are characterized by:

intensive agriculture storage technology high density population large settlements extra-local exchange a high degree of specialization social stratification clear lines of leader and power

And cyclic florescence and decay.