25. Origins of Complex Societies

Civilization

Shorthand for urbanized, state-level societies.

Band society

A class of human society, they are commonly hunter-gatherer bands. Social status is achieved. It is mediated by gender and age and is an egalitarian society.

Tribal society

A class of human society, a big man society where social status is achieved. Egalitarian with several hundred individuals, more sedentary living and permanent villages. A larger society with greater level of social and cultural complexity.

Chiefdoms

A class of human society, it has social stratification and social classes. Inherited status begins here along kin lines. There is a concentration of power in their leader. They have large populations with several thousands of people and towns. An inbetween of tribes and states.

State level society

A class of human society, they have a lot of social inequality. 10s of thousands of cities. Empires are many states that are linked together over a vast region. They were either hierarchical or heterarchical societies.

Hierarchical society

A society with centralized power and top-down control. They had elites, middle class, and peasantry. A clear leader or governing body holds ultimate decision making power. Most often a pyramid-like structure.

Akkad, Naram-Sin

An example of an extreme hierarchical society. Divine kingship and military dominance, administrative control and propaganda was prominent.

Heterarchical society

A society that had decentralized power, no single, permanent authority. It was a web-like structure,.with networked relationships. It was often more stable, though not egalitarian.

The Ancient Indus Valley

An example of a heterarchical society. There was a decentralized power structure and lack of clear elite rulers.

What were the state characteristics?

Monumental works, food surplus, being a host of associated challenges, irrigation, record keeping, long distance trade, a settlement system, military force, defensive systems, and non-subsistence based activities

Tokens

The earliest evidence for record keeping

Cuneiform tablets

Example of record keeping that were a logo-syballic script. Initially pictographic characters in Mesopotamia.

Oracle bone script

Example of record keeping coming from China.

Hieroglyphics

Example of record keeping used in egypt and by the Maya (referred to as glyphs for the Maya)

Gordon Childe

Known for proposing the urban revolutioin as a tranformative stage in human history.

When was the emergence of states?

5,500 years ago

What are the regions of emergence of states?

Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, China, Mesoamerica

Mesopotamia

Between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, it had the worlds first urbanized state.

Uruk (Warka)

The oldest and first city from Mesopotamia, it grew to more than 10,000 people.

Ur

The second important center in Mesopotamia. There is evidence of social stratification via burials.

Sargon

Known for establishing the Akkadian Empire. Possibly the first empire.

Naram-Sin

Known for flourishing the Akkadian Empire, unifying northern and southern mesopotamia.

Egypt

Consisting of Upper Egypt (south) and Lower Egypt (north), a state that had Hierakonpolis “City of the Hawk” which was the largest and most complex cluster of predynastic settlement.

Harappa and Mohenjo-daro

A state in the Indus Valley famous for bath and drainage systems.

Xia Dynasty

Often considered China’s first state, however lacked information.

Shang Dynasty

The first historically verified dynasty in China.

The Olmec

Mesoamerican state known for influencing the developments in Oaxaca and Mexican valleys.

Teotihuacan

A state in the valley of mexico. It had small scattered farming villages on the valley. It collapsed with Teotihuacan burning.

Why did states decline?

Conflicts, climate change, diseases, overpopulation and famine, overexploitation of resources and economic collapse.