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Published on: August 5, 2016
Territorial expansion and primary state formation
1Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA. cspencer@amnh.org
Summary
The territorial-expansion model explains primary state origins, showing state institutions emerged alongside territorial expansion. This expansion necessitated and funded bureaucratic governance for early states.
Area of Science:
- Anthropology
- Archaeology
- Political Science
Background:
- The origin of the state and its bureaucratic governance is a central problem in anthropology.
- Primary state formation, evolving without external influence, is crucial for understanding state origins.
Observation:
- A territorial-expansion model is proposed to explain primary state formation.
- Archaeological data from six ancient primary states (Mesoamerica, Peru, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, China) were analyzed.
Findings:
- Evidence shows state institutions appeared concurrently with the earliest political-economic expansion beyond the capital's immediate vicinity.
- This temporal correlation supports the territorial-expansion model for primary state origins.
Implications:
- The model suggests that successful long-distance territorial expansion drove the bureaucratization of central authority.
- This expansion also provided the necessary resources to support administrative transformation and state development.
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