The document discusses the evolution of inequality in human societies from early egalitarian hunter-gatherer bands to stratified states. It describes how forager societies like the !Kung used "reverse dominance hierarchies" to suppress any individual who tried to dominate the group and maintain egalitarianism. As populations and food surpluses increased with settled farming, it became difficult to maintain equality through these mechanisms, leading to the rise of social stratification, elites, and hierarchical political organizations.
![The Myth of Forager Egalitarianism ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)