Neolithic Social Organization: Hierarchical or Egalitarian?
Assignment to hand in: Comprehension Questions
Introduction: What form of social order or government did the people who lived from 8,000 to 3000 B.C.E. live under? Hierarchical societies or societies with "rulers set apart from others," are typically organized so that some people have more power than others. The more powerful people usually have more wealth and a higher social status (rank) than others in the society. By contrast, egalitarian - or "equal" - societies are societies in which people share power and wealth. People often work together and share the rewards of their work.
Step 1: Visuals - Look at the following PICTURES and read the descriptions below them.
Step 2: Reading - Read the following HANDOUT and answer the questions below on a lined piece of paper.
1. What are the basic differences between an hierarchy and an egalitarian society? Provide examples.
2. What evidence do archeologists and other scholars have to determine which type of society existed in Neolithic times?
3. Were Neolithic societies patriarchical or matriarchical? What do the scholars have to say about this?
4. What type of society is the United States now? What characteristics does the U.S. have of both types of societies?
Supplemental
Activity:
Shipwrecked Role Play