Timothy Earle

published in Jacobin
Seth Ackerman interviews Timothy Earle, the author of the book "How Chiefs Come to Power: The Political Economy in Prehistory." Earle lays out that a key factor in a "chief" being able to develop control is "circumscription" or "the ability to bind people to a place." He believes that "chiefs" were granted power on behalf of a group, but at some point "seized personal power," which is "how property develops."
1208 days ago