The origin of the state: land productivity or appropriability?

Journal of Political Economy • Vol/Iss. 130(4) • The University of Chicago Press • • Published In • Pages: 1091-1144 •
By Mayshar, Joram, Moav, Omer, Pascali, Luigi

Abstract

The authors evaluated an alternative theory to the traditional productivity theory. They posit that food surplus did not precede the emergence of hierarchy, rather, the productivity advantage of cereal cultivation over tubers and roots as the catalyst for state societies. Their theory found support with a sample of societies from the present-day, Classical Antiquity, Neolithic period and pre/post Columbian Exchange. The results suggest social complexity emerged with cereal cultivation, rather than agriculture alone.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Ethnographic Atlas (EA)CombinationSociety-level
Borcan, Olsson, and Putterman (2018)CombinationCountry-level
Archaeological Atlas of the WorldCombinationNeolithic period
Global Crop Diversity Trust & Mayshar, et.al (2022)Researcher's ownColumbian Exchange

Hypotheses (4)

HypothesisSupported
Societies relying mainly on cereal crops for subsistence may be positively associated with jurisdictional hierarchy beyond the local level.Supported
The hierarchical index of a country may be positively associated with the caloric advantage and land productivity of cereal crops over roots and tubers before and after the Columbian Exchange (before 1500 and after 1550).Supported
The location of ancient cities may be positively associated with the availability of wild relatives of domesticated cereal crops.Supported
Hierarchical complexity in the classical age (450 CE) may be positively associated with the presence of wild relatives of cereal grains.Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: matthew.g.roth  danielle.russell