SOC 3470 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Economic Surplus, Monetary System, Veneration Of The Dead
6 Oct 2016
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Without the plow we"d still be in the horticulture era (it helped control weeds and maintained the fertility of the soil due to deeper cultivation. Facilitated the harnessing of animal energy and increased productivity. Meant permanently cultivated fields, larger crops, and the potential for larger economic surplus and newer, more complex forms of social organization. A government based on kinship ties was no longer adequate. 1st armies = militias of all able-bodied men. Worked well when the wars were small. When rulers started empire building, a shift to highly trained professional armies occurred. Increased record keeping occurred as administrative problems became more complex. Establishment of the 1st formal legal systems. Old simple system didn"t work on this diverse scale. Monetary system expanded the market for individuals to sell to those without, so the demand for goods and services increases. Fostered a more individualistic, competitive approach to life. New cultural or social differences created internal divisions within society.
