Mastodawn

New research suggests early states grew not from surplus alone but from the tax potential of cereal grains. Writing followed as a tool for keeping track. A fresh phylogenetic view on why grain shaped political evolution. #Anthropology #Archaeology #HumanEvolution #StateFormation https://www.anthropology.net/p/fields-that-built-nations-how-the

Fields That Built Nations: How the Humble Cereal Plant Reshaped Human Politics

New phylogenetic research suggests that early states did not rise on the promise of surplus alone but on the precise tax potential of grain, along with the bureaucratic tools invented to keep track of

Anthropology.net