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deeppurplehazedream wrote

"Only where the climate and geography favored cereals, was hierarchy likely to develop," says Mayshar from the Hebrew University of Jearusalem.

"Our data shows that the greater the productivity advantage of cereals over tubers, the greater the likelihood of hierarchy emerging."

The quotes above misleadingly imply, at least on my reading, that tuber societies, weren't hierarchical at all. For example, in pre-Western contact Hawaii, there was definitely a well developed class structure-the kapu (taboo) system. This was a little like European fuedalism.

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ziq wrote

Makes sense. Grain is the real backbone of civilization.

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roanoke9 wrote

Ishmael referred to this as "locking up the food".

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