Chiefdoms constitute a political organization characterized by social
hierarchies and consolidation of political power into fulltime specialists who control production and distribution of resources
. Sometimes the prestige of the leader and their family is higher, but not always.
Who is the leader of a chiefdom?
A tribal chief or chieftain
is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom.
What did the chiefdoms do?
A chiefdom is a form
of hierarchical political organization in
non-industrial societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or ‘houses’. These elites form a political-ideological aristocracy relative to the general group.
What is chief and chiefdoms?
Anthropologists define chiefs as
political representatives of their chiefdoms who exercise their power under an inherited authority
. … Archaeological scholars look to excavated and archival evidence of chiefs and chiefdoms for what they reveal of state formation in the past.
Is chiefdom a rank society?
Chiefdoms are
ranked societies
; there are substantial differences in the wealth and social status of individuals based on how closely related they are to the chief. In ranked societies, there are a limited number of positions of power or status, and only a few can occupy them. State societies are stratified.
What is the difference between chiefdoms and state?
While chiefdoms are
societies in which everyone is ranked relative to the chief
, states are socially stratified into largely distinct classes in terms of wealth, power, and prestige. … They were mostly the food producing farmers upon whom the entire society ultimately depended.
What is a chief’s son called?
The position of chief is hereditary and conveys significant social prestige. Water Tribe sagas tell of cases in the ancient past when there were violent disputes about the title of chief among siblings. The Northern Water Tribe gave the sons and daughters of the chief the title of
prince or princess
.
Where are chiefdoms located?
The Nature of Chiefdoms. Prior to European exploration, the Indians of
Georgia
and other parts of the Southeast had achieved the highest level of political organization north of the Mesoamerican Aztec and Maya states. These southeastern political organizations are termed chiefdoms by anthropologists.
Why do chiefdoms become states?
Force is simply embedded in structural relations, and through the introduction of slaves, uneven growth in access to land and other resources, and
the gradual mo- nopolization of the legitimate use of violence
, chiefdoms become states.
How chiefdoms exist in their community?
Chiefdoms incorporated
multiple hamlets, villages
, and possibly small cities into one political unit. Occupational specialization, where people have different jobs within the society and are reliant on others for some of the goods they consume, becomes prevalent within chiefdoms. … Kin groups inhabited the villages.
How are conflicts usually settled in bands and tribes?
Tribes have a variety of mechanisms for controlling behavior and settling conflicts.
Compensation is
a payment demanded to compensate for damage. Mediation aims to resolve disputes so that the prior social relationship between the disputants is maintained and harmony is restored.
What is the most formal and most complex form of political organization?
States
are the most complex form of political organization and are characterized by a central government that has a monopoly over legitimate uses of physical force, a sizeable bureaucracy, a system of formal laws, and a standing military force.
What is the smallest form of political organization?
Usually being the smallest of the four, bands are where we’ll start. A band is usually a very small, oftentimes nomadic, group that is connected by family ties and is politically independent.
What is an example of ranked society?
The Trobriand Islands located in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea
offer a classic anthropological example of hereditary rank established in the mythological origins of the four clans. Each of the clans has relative status to each other, with the Tabalu clan holding the highest rank.
What does it mean to live in an egalitarian society?
In egalitarian societies,
all individuals are born equal, and all members of society are said to have a right to equal opportunities
. These types of societies are often referred to as classless societies.
What is an example of redistribution?
In industrial societies,
progressive income taxes
are an example of redistribution—taxes are collected from individuals dependent on their personal income and then that money is distributed to other members of society through various government programs. Charitable donations function similarly.
