A New Understanding of Human History and the Roots of Inequality | David Wengrow | TED

Name: A New Understanding of Human History and the Roots of Inequality | David Wengrow | TED
Uploaded: 2022-07-26T11:00:03.000Z
Duration: 34 min 29 s

The Misconceptions of Civilization

The Context of Agriculture and Its Impact

In the summer of 2014, the speaker was in Iraqi Kurdistan with archaeologists, exploring the origins of agriculture and its implications on human society.

The traditional narrative suggests that agriculture led to private property, social hierarchies, and inequalities as people became tied to land for farming.

This narrative posits a trajectory where population growth and technological advancements resulted in societal inequalities seen today.

Challenging Established Narratives

Contrary to popular belief, evidence indicates that after agriculture's inception around 10,000 years ago, villages remained largely unchanged for about 4,000 years.

During this period, significant technological advancements occurred without the emergence of rigid social classes or centralized power structures.

Innovations included mathematical knowledge, metallurgy, cultivation techniques for various crops, and textile technologies; these spread widely across regions.

Redefining Civilization

The speaker argues that what we typically define as civilization—characterized by inequality—emerged much later than these early developments.

There is a lack of appropriate terminology to describe long periods where societies thrived without exploitation or hierarchical structures.

Reevaluating Human History

Collaborating with anthropologist David Graeber over ten years helped explore discrepancies between historical narratives and archaeological evidence on a broader scale.

Core concepts like small egalitarian hunter-gatherer bands transitioning into unequal agricultural societies are questioned based on new findings.

Insights on Urban Development

The conventional view holds that cities brought about social stratification; however, modern archaeology presents a more complex picture regarding early urbanization.

Early civilizations such as those in ancient Egypt or Shang China are often cited as examples of inequality arising from urban centers but may not represent the full story.

The Evolution of Early Societies

The Emergence of Cities Without Rulers

In South Asia, around 4,500 years ago, cities like Mohenjo-daro and Harappa emerged in the Indus Valley, yet there is no evidence of kings or queens governing these settlements.

Similarly, ancient cities in Ukraine dating back 6,000 years also lack signs of authoritarian rule; no temples or palaces were found.

These early societies featured concentric rings of houses surrounding community assembly halls rather than centralized bureaucratic structures.

Notably, many organized cities existed long before democracy in Greece without ruling dynasties or priestly classes.

Case Study: Teotihuacan's Transformation

Around 250 AD, Teotihuacan in Mexico transitioned from a city with pyramid temples to one characterized by comfortable villas for its population of about 100,000.

Initial assumptions that the buildings were palaces shifted as it became clear that most residents lived in spacious homes adorned with murals and equipped with advanced sanitation.

Comparisons to Other Societies

While no society was perfectly egalitarian, Teotihuacan may have been more equitable compared to militaristic Athens which practiced chattel slavery and excluded women from politics.

The speaker questions whether we should ignore these examples and maintain traditional narratives about civilization's development.

Misconceptions About Indigenous Governance

Contrary to popular belief, conquistadors did encounter indigenous republics like Tlaxcala during their invasions—cities governed by urban parliaments rather than monarchies.

Tlaxcala had unique initiation rituals for politicians involving public humiliation to ensure accountability—a stark contrast to modern political practices.

Reevaluating Pre-Agricultural Societies

Archaeological findings challenge previous notions about pre-agricultural societies; they reveal diverse social experiments rather than mere hunter-gatherer bands.

Evidence shows extensive social networks among African hunter-gatherers 50,000 years ago and significant burial practices in Ice Age Europe indicating complex societal structures.

Sites like Göbekli Tepe demonstrate that even before agriculture, large-scale communal projects existed among hunter-gatherers in the Middle East.

Implications for Modern Society

The historical record suggests that the advent of agriculture did not necessarily lead to increased inequality or hierarchical governance structures as previously thought.