Foundations of Social Inequality

There are few more significant questions in the prehistory of our species than the emergence of social inequality. However, despite its apparent consequence, this issue is often overlooked. In their "Foundations of Social Inequality", T. Douglas Price and Gary M. Feinman bring together the authoritative edition on this issue that is fundamental to our knowledge of the human condition. The volume includes various case studies of the transition to social inequality and a variety of theoretical approaches to provide a current, diverse view on the critical changes that have taken place in the structure of human society. Ten papers by leading scholars in the areas of social differentiation and inequality contain a plethora of theoretical perspectives and specific case studies from the Old and New World, from foraging societies to agricultural groups and complex states. "Foundations of Social Inequality" is one of the very few volumes on the prehistory and emergence of social inequality to heighten our understanding of the critical processes involved. -- From publisher's description.