Economic inequality is fueled by population scale, land-limited production, and settlement hierarchies across the archaeological record

Autores
Kohler, Timothy A.; Bogaard, Amy; Ortman, Scott G.; Crema, Enrico R.; Chirikure, Shadreck; Cruz, Pablo; Green, Adam S.; Kerig, Tim; McCoy, Mark D.; Munson, Jessica; Petrie, Cameron; Thompson, Amy E.; Birch, Jennifer; Cervantes Quequezana, Gabriela; Feinman, Gary; Fochesato, Mattia; Gronenborn, Detlef; Hamerow, Helena; Jin, Guiyun; Lawrence, Dan; Roscoe, Paul B.; Rosenstock, Eva; Grace, K. Erny; Kim, Habeom; Ohlrau, René; Hanson, J. W.; Fargher Navarro, Lane; Pailes, Matthew
Año de publicación
2025
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Defining wealth broadly to include wealth in people, relational connections, and material possessions, we examine the prehistory of wealth inequality at the level of the residential units using the consistent proxy of Gini coefficients calculated across areas of contemporaneous residential units. In a sample of >1100 sites and >47,000 residential units spanning >10,000 years, persistent wealth inequality typically lags the onset of plant cultivation by more than a millennium. It accompanies landscape modifications and subsistence practices in which land (rather than labor) limits production, and growth of hierarchies of settlement size. Gini coefficients are markedly higher through time in settlements at or near the top of such hierarchies; settlements not enmeshed in these systems remain relatively egalitarian even long after plant and animal domestication. We infer that some households in top-ranked settlements were able to exploit the network effects, agglomeration opportunities, and (eventually) political leverage provided by these hierarchies more effectively than others, likely boosted by efficient inter-generational transmission of material resources after increased sedentism made that more common. Since population growth is associated with increased sedentism, more land-limited production, and the appearance and growth of settlement hierarchies, it is deeply implicated in the post-domestication rise of wealth inequality. Governance practices mediate the degree of wealth inequality, as do technical innovations such as the use of animals for portage, horseback riding, and the development of iron smelting.
Fil: Kohler, Timothy A.. Washington State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Bogaard, Amy. University of Oxford; Reino Unido
Fil: Ortman, Scott G.. State University of Colorado at Boulder; Estados Unidos
Fil: Crema, Enrico R.. University of Cambridge; Reino Unido
Fil: Chirikure, Shadreck. University of Oxford; Reino Unido
Fil: Cruz, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Unidad Ejecutora en Ciencias Sociales Regionales y Humanidades. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Unidad Ejecutora en Ciencias Sociales Regionales y Humanidades; Argentina
Fil: Green, Adam S.. University of York; Reino Unido
Fil: Kerig, Tim. Christian Albrechts Universitat Zu Kiel.; Alemania
Fil: McCoy, Mark D.. Florida State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Munson, Jessica. Lycoming College; Estados Unidos
Fil: Petrie, Cameron. University of Cambridge; Reino Unido
Fil: Thompson, Amy E.. University of Texas at Austin; Estados Unidos
Fil: Birch, Jennifer. University of Georgia; Estados Unidos
Fil: Cervantes Quequezana, Gabriela. University of Pittsburgh; Estados Unidos
Fil: Feinman, Gary. Field Museum Of Natural History; Estados Unidos
Fil: Fochesato, Mattia. Universita Bocconi; Italia
Fil: Gronenborn, Detlef. Romisch-germanisches Zentralmuseum; Alemania
Fil: Hamerow, Helena. University of Oxford; Reino Unido
Fil: Jin, Guiyun. Shandong University; China
Fil: Lawrence, Dan. University of Durham; Reino Unido
Fil: Roscoe, Paul B.. The University Of Maine (the University Of Maine);
Fil: Rosenstock, Eva. Rheinische Friedrich-wilhelms-universitat Bonn; Alemania
Fil: Grace, K. Erny. University of California at Berkeley; Estados Unidos
Fil: Kim, Habeom. No especifíca;
Fil: Ohlrau, René. Christian-albrechts-universität Zu Kiel; Alemania
Fil: Hanson, J. W.. University of Oxford; Reino Unido
Fil: Fargher Navarro, Lane. Ohio State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Pailes, Matthew. Oklahoma State University; Estados Unidos
Materia
INEQUALITY
PREHISTORY
ASIA
EUROPE
AMERICAS
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/267273

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network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Economic inequality is fueled by population scale, land-limited production, and settlement hierarchies across the archaeological recordKohler, Timothy A.Bogaard, AmyOrtman, Scott G.Crema, Enrico R.Chirikure, ShadreckCruz, PabloGreen, Adam S.Kerig, TimMcCoy, Mark D.Munson, JessicaPetrie, CameronThompson, Amy E.Birch, JenniferCervantes Quequezana, GabrielaFeinman, GaryFochesato, MattiaGronenborn, DetlefHamerow, HelenaJin, GuiyunLawrence, DanRoscoe, Paul B.Rosenstock, EvaGrace, K. ErnyKim, HabeomOhlrau, RenéHanson, J. W.Fargher Navarro, LanePailes, MatthewINEQUALITYPREHISTORYASIAEUROPEAMERICAShttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/6.1https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6Defining wealth broadly to include wealth in people, relational connections, and material possessions, we examine the prehistory of wealth inequality at the level of the residential units using the consistent proxy of Gini coefficients calculated across areas of contemporaneous residential units. In a sample of >1100 sites and >47,000 residential units spanning >10,000 years, persistent wealth inequality typically lags the onset of plant cultivation by more than a millennium. It accompanies landscape modifications and subsistence practices in which land (rather than labor) limits production, and growth of hierarchies of settlement size. Gini coefficients are markedly higher through time in settlements at or near the top of such hierarchies; settlements not enmeshed in these systems remain relatively egalitarian even long after plant and animal domestication. We infer that some households in top-ranked settlements were able to exploit the network effects, agglomeration opportunities, and (eventually) political leverage provided by these hierarchies more effectively than others, likely boosted by efficient inter-generational transmission of material resources after increased sedentism made that more common. Since population growth is associated with increased sedentism, more land-limited production, and the appearance and growth of settlement hierarchies, it is deeply implicated in the post-domestication rise of wealth inequality. Governance practices mediate the degree of wealth inequality, as do technical innovations such as the use of animals for portage, horseback riding, and the development of iron smelting.Fil: Kohler, Timothy A.. Washington State University; Estados UnidosFil: Bogaard, Amy. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Ortman, Scott G.. State University of Colorado at Boulder; Estados UnidosFil: Crema, Enrico R.. University of Cambridge; Reino UnidoFil: Chirikure, Shadreck. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Cruz, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Unidad Ejecutora en Ciencias Sociales Regionales y Humanidades. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Unidad Ejecutora en Ciencias Sociales Regionales y Humanidades; ArgentinaFil: Green, Adam S.. University of York; Reino UnidoFil: Kerig, Tim. Christian Albrechts Universitat Zu Kiel.; AlemaniaFil: McCoy, Mark D.. Florida State University; Estados UnidosFil: Munson, Jessica. Lycoming College; Estados UnidosFil: Petrie, Cameron. University of Cambridge; Reino UnidoFil: Thompson, Amy E.. University of Texas at Austin; Estados UnidosFil: Birch, Jennifer. University of Georgia; Estados UnidosFil: Cervantes Quequezana, Gabriela. University of Pittsburgh; Estados UnidosFil: Feinman, Gary. Field Museum Of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Fochesato, Mattia. Universita Bocconi; ItaliaFil: Gronenborn, Detlef. Romisch-germanisches Zentralmuseum; AlemaniaFil: Hamerow, Helena. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Jin, Guiyun. Shandong University; ChinaFil: Lawrence, Dan. University of Durham; Reino UnidoFil: Roscoe, Paul B.. The University Of Maine (the University Of Maine);Fil: Rosenstock, Eva. Rheinische Friedrich-wilhelms-universitat Bonn; AlemaniaFil: Grace, K. Erny. University of California at Berkeley; Estados UnidosFil: Kim, Habeom. No especifíca;Fil: Ohlrau, René. Christian-albrechts-universität Zu Kiel; AlemaniaFil: Hanson, J. W.. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Fargher Navarro, Lane. Ohio State University; Estados UnidosFil: Pailes, Matthew. Oklahoma State University; Estados UnidosNational Academy of Sciences2025-04-14info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/267273Kohler, Timothy A.; Bogaard, Amy; Ortman, Scott G.; Crema, Enrico R.; Chirikure, Shadreck; et al.; Economic inequality is fueled by population scale, land-limited production, and settlement hierarchies across the archaeological record; National Academy of Sciences; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America; 122; 16; 14-4-2025; 1-120027-84241091-6490CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1073/pnas.2400691122info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2400691122info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2025-09-03T09:43:28Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/267273instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982025-09-03 09:43:28.495CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Economic inequality is fueled by population scale, land-limited production, and settlement hierarchies across the archaeological record
title Economic inequality is fueled by population scale, land-limited production, and settlement hierarchies across the archaeological record
spellingShingle Economic inequality is fueled by population scale, land-limited production, and settlement hierarchies across the archaeological record
Kohler, Timothy A.
INEQUALITY
PREHISTORY
ASIA
EUROPE
AMERICAS
title_short Economic inequality is fueled by population scale, land-limited production, and settlement hierarchies across the archaeological record
title_full Economic inequality is fueled by population scale, land-limited production, and settlement hierarchies across the archaeological record
title_fullStr Economic inequality is fueled by population scale, land-limited production, and settlement hierarchies across the archaeological record
title_full_unstemmed Economic inequality is fueled by population scale, land-limited production, and settlement hierarchies across the archaeological record
title_sort Economic inequality is fueled by population scale, land-limited production, and settlement hierarchies across the archaeological record
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Kohler, Timothy A.
Bogaard, Amy
Ortman, Scott G.
Crema, Enrico R.
Chirikure, Shadreck
Cruz, Pablo
Green, Adam S.
Kerig, Tim
McCoy, Mark D.
Munson, Jessica
Petrie, Cameron
Thompson, Amy E.
Birch, Jennifer
Cervantes Quequezana, Gabriela
Feinman, Gary
Fochesato, Mattia
Gronenborn, Detlef
Hamerow, Helena
Jin, Guiyun
Lawrence, Dan
Roscoe, Paul B.
Rosenstock, Eva
Grace, K. Erny
Kim, Habeom
Ohlrau, René
Hanson, J. W.
Fargher Navarro, Lane
Pailes, Matthew
author Kohler, Timothy A.
author_facet Kohler, Timothy A.
Bogaard, Amy
Ortman, Scott G.
Crema, Enrico R.
Chirikure, Shadreck
Cruz, Pablo
Green, Adam S.
Kerig, Tim
McCoy, Mark D.
Munson, Jessica
Petrie, Cameron
Thompson, Amy E.
Birch, Jennifer
Cervantes Quequezana, Gabriela
Feinman, Gary
Fochesato, Mattia
Gronenborn, Detlef
Hamerow, Helena
Jin, Guiyun
Lawrence, Dan
Roscoe, Paul B.
Rosenstock, Eva
Grace, K. Erny
Kim, Habeom
Ohlrau, René
Hanson, J. W.
Fargher Navarro, Lane
Pailes, Matthew
author_role author
author2 Bogaard, Amy
Ortman, Scott G.
Crema, Enrico R.
Chirikure, Shadreck
Cruz, Pablo
Green, Adam S.
Kerig, Tim
McCoy, Mark D.
Munson, Jessica
Petrie, Cameron
Thompson, Amy E.
Birch, Jennifer
Cervantes Quequezana, Gabriela
Feinman, Gary
Fochesato, Mattia
Gronenborn, Detlef
Hamerow, Helena
Jin, Guiyun
Lawrence, Dan
Roscoe, Paul B.
Rosenstock, Eva
Grace, K. Erny
Kim, Habeom
Ohlrau, René
Hanson, J. W.
Fargher Navarro, Lane
Pailes, Matthew
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv INEQUALITY
PREHISTORY
ASIA
EUROPE
AMERICAS
topic INEQUALITY
PREHISTORY
ASIA
EUROPE
AMERICAS
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6.1
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Defining wealth broadly to include wealth in people, relational connections, and material possessions, we examine the prehistory of wealth inequality at the level of the residential units using the consistent proxy of Gini coefficients calculated across areas of contemporaneous residential units. In a sample of >1100 sites and >47,000 residential units spanning >10,000 years, persistent wealth inequality typically lags the onset of plant cultivation by more than a millennium. It accompanies landscape modifications and subsistence practices in which land (rather than labor) limits production, and growth of hierarchies of settlement size. Gini coefficients are markedly higher through time in settlements at or near the top of such hierarchies; settlements not enmeshed in these systems remain relatively egalitarian even long after plant and animal domestication. We infer that some households in top-ranked settlements were able to exploit the network effects, agglomeration opportunities, and (eventually) political leverage provided by these hierarchies more effectively than others, likely boosted by efficient inter-generational transmission of material resources after increased sedentism made that more common. Since population growth is associated with increased sedentism, more land-limited production, and the appearance and growth of settlement hierarchies, it is deeply implicated in the post-domestication rise of wealth inequality. Governance practices mediate the degree of wealth inequality, as do technical innovations such as the use of animals for portage, horseback riding, and the development of iron smelting.
Fil: Kohler, Timothy A.. Washington State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Bogaard, Amy. University of Oxford; Reino Unido
Fil: Ortman, Scott G.. State University of Colorado at Boulder; Estados Unidos
Fil: Crema, Enrico R.. University of Cambridge; Reino Unido
Fil: Chirikure, Shadreck. University of Oxford; Reino Unido
Fil: Cruz, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Unidad Ejecutora en Ciencias Sociales Regionales y Humanidades. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Unidad Ejecutora en Ciencias Sociales Regionales y Humanidades; Argentina
Fil: Green, Adam S.. University of York; Reino Unido
Fil: Kerig, Tim. Christian Albrechts Universitat Zu Kiel.; Alemania
Fil: McCoy, Mark D.. Florida State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Munson, Jessica. Lycoming College; Estados Unidos
Fil: Petrie, Cameron. University of Cambridge; Reino Unido
Fil: Thompson, Amy E.. University of Texas at Austin; Estados Unidos
Fil: Birch, Jennifer. University of Georgia; Estados Unidos
Fil: Cervantes Quequezana, Gabriela. University of Pittsburgh; Estados Unidos
Fil: Feinman, Gary. Field Museum Of Natural History; Estados Unidos
Fil: Fochesato, Mattia. Universita Bocconi; Italia
Fil: Gronenborn, Detlef. Romisch-germanisches Zentralmuseum; Alemania
Fil: Hamerow, Helena. University of Oxford; Reino Unido
Fil: Jin, Guiyun. Shandong University; China
Fil: Lawrence, Dan. University of Durham; Reino Unido
Fil: Roscoe, Paul B.. The University Of Maine (the University Of Maine);
Fil: Rosenstock, Eva. Rheinische Friedrich-wilhelms-universitat Bonn; Alemania
Fil: Grace, K. Erny. University of California at Berkeley; Estados Unidos
Fil: Kim, Habeom. No especifíca;
Fil: Ohlrau, René. Christian-albrechts-universität Zu Kiel; Alemania
Fil: Hanson, J. W.. University of Oxford; Reino Unido
Fil: Fargher Navarro, Lane. Ohio State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Pailes, Matthew. Oklahoma State University; Estados Unidos
description Defining wealth broadly to include wealth in people, relational connections, and material possessions, we examine the prehistory of wealth inequality at the level of the residential units using the consistent proxy of Gini coefficients calculated across areas of contemporaneous residential units. In a sample of >1100 sites and >47,000 residential units spanning >10,000 years, persistent wealth inequality typically lags the onset of plant cultivation by more than a millennium. It accompanies landscape modifications and subsistence practices in which land (rather than labor) limits production, and growth of hierarchies of settlement size. Gini coefficients are markedly higher through time in settlements at or near the top of such hierarchies; settlements not enmeshed in these systems remain relatively egalitarian even long after plant and animal domestication. We infer that some households in top-ranked settlements were able to exploit the network effects, agglomeration opportunities, and (eventually) political leverage provided by these hierarchies more effectively than others, likely boosted by efficient inter-generational transmission of material resources after increased sedentism made that more common. Since population growth is associated with increased sedentism, more land-limited production, and the appearance and growth of settlement hierarchies, it is deeply implicated in the post-domestication rise of wealth inequality. Governance practices mediate the degree of wealth inequality, as do technical innovations such as the use of animals for portage, horseback riding, and the development of iron smelting.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-04-14
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/267273
Kohler, Timothy A.; Bogaard, Amy; Ortman, Scott G.; Crema, Enrico R.; Chirikure, Shadreck; et al.; Economic inequality is fueled by population scale, land-limited production, and settlement hierarchies across the archaeological record; National Academy of Sciences; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America; 122; 16; 14-4-2025; 1-12
0027-8424
1091-6490
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/267273
identifier_str_mv Kohler, Timothy A.; Bogaard, Amy; Ortman, Scott G.; Crema, Enrico R.; Chirikure, Shadreck; et al.; Economic inequality is fueled by population scale, land-limited production, and settlement hierarchies across the archaeological record; National Academy of Sciences; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America; 122; 16; 14-4-2025; 1-12
0027-8424
1091-6490
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1073/pnas.2400691122
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2400691122
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv National Academy of Sciences
publisher.none.fl_str_mv National Academy of Sciences
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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