Tribe to Transcendence

From Tribe to Transcendence": How an indigenous tribe develops into a classical society:

An indigenous tribe is usually composed of a network of closely related individuals. There is usually little initial specialization in terms of labor, except based upon gender or age. Most tribes begin as hunter-gatherers. They forage for food and hunt for game. Eventually some tribes put down roots and establish ties to a specific area of land or territory, and use the land to plant and harvest crops. This use of work establishes a tribal sense of ownership to a particular patch of land. It also results in the tribe becoming divided into family groups based on the acquisition of different areas of private property. Some division of labor may occur as certain individuals specialize in the production of certain goods, and this division becomes especially intense after the introduction of a pastoral way of life, or the use of fenced-in land to feed animals used for food production. Grazing land requires even more territory, and the care of animals requires even more specialization of labor, as certain individuals care for certain animals, purchase the crops they now do not have time to grow. This also creates more societal divisions based upon occupation.

The establishment of ties with the land also means that as the territorial expanse of the tribe grows too narrow to support the burgeoning population, certain individuals may leave the tribe to seek better land to grow crops or raise animals. Intermarriage between tribes once the bloodlines of the society become too closely related further creates divisions between the original members of the tribe.

A classical society based upon divisions of labor is produced as a government is required to keep the new society in line, and certain occupational classes or bloodlines are privileged above others to a variety of degrees. As society grows more diverse and labor becomes more specialized, greater social and financial inequities are likely to arise. The greater number of persons and the threat of encroachment or war from a neighboring community make some form of law and order in a formal sense a necessity and may encourage the members of the society to accept such inequities in exchange for protection.