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When the Plow Turned the Tables: How Inequality Took Root in Human History

Anthropology.net

The Ox and the Origins of Unequal Societies Long before hedge funds, private property, or multinational tax havens, human societies were surprisingly equal. According to a new synthesis of archaeological, historical, and economic data published in the Journal of Economic Literature 1 , that change wasn’t just about economics.

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Ancient Instincts, Modern Power Struggles: How Evolution Still Shapes Human Society

Anthropology.net

Human societies are built on layers of culture, law, and technology, yet beneath it all, some of the oldest instincts in the animal kingdom continue to shape our world. In A New Approach to Human Social Evolution 1 , neuroscientist and anthropologist Jorge A. At its core, the human brain retains an ancient architecture.

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It’s Time to Replace “Prehistory” With “Deep History”

Sapiens

Humans huddled in caves. This framework has all manner of trouble—from narratives driven by assumptions of the straight-line rise and fall of societies, to an obsession with “lost” civilizations, to the belief that older cultures are harder (and therefore more prestigious) to “discover.” Dinosaurs roaming ancient landscapes?

History 143
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Humanity’s Oldest Ochre Mine: The 48,000-Year Legacy of Artistry and Symbolism in Eswatini's Lion Cavern

Anthropology.net

The Ancient Artistry of Ochre Mining in Eswatini The Lion Cavern at Ngwenya, Eswatini, holds groundbreaking evidence 1 of humanity's earliest intensive ochre mining practices, dating back 48,000 years. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating methods confirmed its use as the world’s oldest ochre mine.

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Rethinking Inequality: What 50,000 Ancient Homes Tell Us About Power, Wealth, and Human Choices

Anthropology.net

From the sprawling villas of Roman elites to the thatched huts of the poor in medieval Europe, textbook history often presents wealth disparity as a consequence of human progress. In fact, some large and politically complex societies maintained surprisingly modest levels of economic disparity. Three excavated Classic period (ca.

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Inequality, Endurance, and the Shape of Human Settlements

Anthropology.net

In the long arc of human history, what makes a settlement persist? Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 1 , the study draws on data from over 47,000 houses spanning nearly 3,000 archaeological sites and 10,000 years of human history. Assessing grand narratives of economic inequality across time.

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Early Copper Crafting Among Anatolia's Last Hunter-Gatherers

Anthropology.net

The narrative of human technological advancement has long positioned metallurgy as a hallmark of settled agricultural societies. This suggests the existence of extensive exchange networks during this period, highlighting a level of socio-economic complexity not typically attributed to hunter-gatherer groups.​