Routes to the Rise of Social Hierarchy

Cuny Queens College, Flushing NY

Investigators

Abstract

A team of scholars will investigate dynamics in the development of cities and states. Understanding the rise of states requires that we characterize their variations, not just study those that fit rigid stereotypes. Many scholars assume that capitals develop as one large settlement dominates other settlements, which in turn control smaller settlements. Yet, hierarchies vary in the degree to which a capital dominates social dimensions of the state. In some cases, the capital dominates; in others, it over-dominates (primacy); and in still others, the capital may be the same size or smaller than “subordinate” settlements. Primacy can become so extreme that capitals grow to be massively larger than “subordinate” centers. Such situations are known as “hyperprimacy.” Variations in the construction of hierarchies reflect and help create divergence in the trajectory of developing states. The knowledge of the diversity, successes, and failures of cities can contribute to modern discussions of urbanization and policymaking. The proposed work will add some historical depth to the understanding of how cooperation can help create more viable and resilient social systems and enhance social mobility. This project will train students from Queens College as well as other universities. The project will explore the invention of what is currently the earliest known city with an orthogonal grid in the Americas. A preliminary survey of the area suggested the presence of a Middle Preclassic period settlement hierarchy. Unusually the site has no monuments which suggests an unusual cooperative form of social organization. The research will proceed through an airborne LiDAR survey followed by intense archaeological excavations at both the main and subordinate sites. Project information will be uploaded to an ongoing website. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.