New research challenges the conventional theory that the transition from foraging to farming drove the development of complex, hierarchical societies by creating agricultural surplus in areas of ...

Power in human societies is often viewed as hierarchical, meaning that it’s tiered and ranked. This view doesn’t fully capture the complexity of how power is managed in different cultures. Some ...

Saying they found "a darker link between religion and the evolution of modern hierarchical societies" than has been previously suggested, a group of scientists say ritual human sacrifice promoted ...

The origins of hierarchical society in Samoa and wider Polynesia have likely been uncovered by a new study led by archaeologists. The discovery of ancient rock walls and high mounds and ditches in ...

Are modern societies built on bloody foundations? That is the suggestion of new research into traditional Austronesian cultures. Ritual human sacrifice seems to be key to the emergence of inherited ...