The authors of The Creation of Inequality make the point that the Ice Age had barely thawed when some of our ancestors began "surrendering bits of equality." And that process unfolds across 15,000 years ultimately leading to where we are today. But our book is about the past--across the globe and time!

The question:

Describe and explain the rise of complex stratified societies and inequality beginning with hereditary rank to the formation of empires. How does this unfold through time? What important social processes are involved? What environmental factors are involved?