Deck 11: Agricultural States

Question 1

The Nayar family is an excellent example of the economic benefits an agricultural state accrues by organizing people and labor on the basis of single nuclear families, which combined into patrilineages and eventually into competitive moieties.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

With the intensification of social stratification, differences between the ruling elite and the rest of the population decreased.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The first codified laws, the Laws of Hammurabi, originated in the Near Eastern civilization of Babylon.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Low fertility rates in agricultural states ensured that the population did not grow too rapidly, outstripping the resources in the area.

Question 5

Because of the egalitarian nature of agricultural states, racial and ethnic stratification did not occur.

Question 6

In contrast to horticulture, intensive agriculture allows a population to produce a surplus of food so population densities and the size of permanent settlements can grow.

Question 7

Despite the domination of the peasantry by the state or landlords, the peasantry often adapted at the level of the village or community by cooperating in the production, distribution, exchange, and consumption of goods, thus assuring that individual families did not become destitute.

Question 8

With the rise of agricultural states and central governments, kinship relations and kin organizations rapidly became obsolete, eventually disappearing altogether in states such as the Egyptian and Incan empires.

Question 9

It has been hypothesized that as women's roles in agriculture decreased, their social status decreased as well; thus, agricultural societies are more patriarchal than tribes and chiefdoms.

Question 10

Ecclesiastical religions are limited to specific territories and are tied to a particular state organization, while universalistic religions espouse spiritual messages that apply to all of humanity.

Question 11

As in forager societies, divorce in agricultural states occurs very frequently because there are no economic or political ties that must be taken into consideration.

Question 12

The term "civilization" usually implies societies with a complex division of labor, with economic roles other than those pertaining to food production.

Question 13

Unlike forager and tribal societies, the ownership of land in agricultural states became the primary basis for an individual's socioeconomic status.

Question 14

The extended family was the predominant form of family in most agricultural states.

Question 15

The construction of monumental architecture such as the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan required a form of organization that persuaded the population to provide labor for the benefit of the state.

Question 16

Except among the elite, polygyny was rare in agricultural states.

Question 17

There is no evidence that the ancient Maya civilization made use of intensive forms of agriculture.

Question 18

States differ structurally from bands, tribes, and chiefdoms by having a bureaucratic or governmental organization.

Question 19

A civilization is a complex society that includes such things as an urban center, extensive food surpluses, a specialized division of labor, a method of record keeping, and monumental architecture.

Question 20

In agricultural states, marriages among the elite were usually exogamous, while those among the peasantry were usually endogamous in nature.

Question 21

Which of the following was NOT a region in which an ancient agricultural state flourished:

A) Mexico
B) China
C) India
D) Australia

Question 22

The majority of archaeological studies suggest that life expectancy with the development of intensive agriculture.

A) increased
B) decreased
C) did not change

Question 23

High infant mortality rates, the view that children are future assets who can care for their parents in old age, and the benefits associated with child labor all encouraged individuals in agricultural states to:

A) have large families
B) rely on sorcery, witchcraft, and shamanism to ensure that very few people died
C) have small families so that special care could be accorded each child
D) raid forager and tribal groups in order to steal children who could be used to work the fields

Question 24

Divorce was rare in agricultural states because of a number of factors. Which of the following is NOT one of the factors discussed in the text?

A) Both the corporate character of the extended family and the necessity for cooperative labor among family members usually lead to normative constraints against divorce.
B) Marriage was the most important way that land was transferred, and marriages were the basis of alliances between families and kin groups.
C) In some societies, marriage became a sacred institution and there were laws against divorce.
D) Divorce was not allowed in many, if not all, agricultural states because of the emotional disruption it caused to the family members, often making them unfit for agricultural labor.

Question 25

Characteristics of a civilization include all of the following except:

A) dense populations located in urban centers
B) extensive food surpluses
C) a highly specialized division of labor
D) a state that employs numerous government officials
E) an egalitarian form of government

Question 26

Large-scale, bureaucratic empires that organized and controlled wide-ranging territories included:

A) the Mayan and Aztec empires that ruled over millions of people
B) Eastern India, which dominated Asia with a large centralized bureaucracy
C) African states in which the ruling body was a royal lineage
D) Near Eastern empires such as Palestine
E) Japan's powerful dynasties, based upon a large, educated populace

Question 27

Monogamy is the primary form of marriage in most agricultural states. The probable reason this pattern is so prevalent is:

A) Most agricultural states have laws against polygamous marriages of any kind because they disrupt the normal flow of the agricultural cycle.
B) In agricultural societies, where land is a scarce commodity, peasants cannot afford the luxury of polygyny.
C) Polygyny is impossible because there are fewer women than men in agricultural states.
D) Most peasants can only afford to accumulate enough wealth for one dowry.

Question 28

A number of major innovations took place in agricultural states that were relatively isolated from one another. Innovations such as paper making, guns and gunpowder, hot-air balloons, umbrellas, multistage rockets, and moveable-type printing are all identified with what part of the world?

A) Europe
B) Africa
C) China
D) the Near East
E) Mesoamerica

Question 29

Individuals who cultivate land for their basic subsistence while paying tribute to a ruling elite are called:

A) slaves
B) peons or ladle waifs
C) peasants
D) laborers
E) journeymen

Question 30

Most cultures with matrilineal social organizations are found in matriarchal states where females have political and economic power.
Multiple Choice Questions

Question 31

Since individualistic religious practices and beliefs were deemed as threatening to the state, one of the major functions of priests was to standardize religious beliefs and practices for the society.

Question 32

A decentralized form of political economy based on landed estates in which autonomous patrons who owned the land demanded tribute from their serfs (peasants) is called:

A) tributism
B) a peasant state
C) feudalism
D) an homage state
E) a segmentary state

Question 33

From a cross-cultural study, Jack Goody learned that bridewealth occurs more frequently in horticultural societies, whereas the dowry system is most frequently found in agricultural states. He further hypothesized that one function of the dowry system was to:

A) consolidate property in the hands of elite groups, thus increasing their wealth and status
B) spread wealth out over a larger area so that everyone in the society had about the same level of affluence
C) counteract the practice of bridewealth, non-adaptive in an agricultural state, because it allowed certain families to accumulate too much wealth by selling their daughters to the highest bidder
D) create an egalitarian society

Question 34

Since wealth and status determine the type of marriage patterns found in ag?ricultural states, the primary form of marriage for all but the elite was:

A) polygyny
B) polyandry
C) polygamy
D) monogamy
E) agamy

Question 35

The transition from foraging to food production:

A) leads to higher mortality rates, poorer sanitation, and decreased life expectancies
B) is always accompanied by an immediate decrease in population density
C) was accomplished in one area of the world, and then diffused to other areas
D) caused mortality to decline, populations to increase in size, and life expectancy to increase

Question 36

Despite the domination by the state or landlords, the peasantry developed norms that emphasized community cooperation in production, distribution, and consumption. This system involved sharing food and labor with one another in a reciprocal manner to provide a form of social and economic security so that individual peasant families would not perish. This system is known as:

A) negative reciprocity
B) a moral economy
C) the Serf Social Security System
D) the reciprocal-surplus mode
E) the serf self-sufficiency system

Question 37

Populations of agrarian civilizations grew rapidly because of:

A) higher birthrates
B) decreased infant mortality
C) declines in the spread of infectious diseases
D) overall increases in the standard of living

Question 38

The majority of agricultural states have either patrilineal or bilateral kin groupings, while only about nine percent are matrilineal. One of these matrilineal societies, the , had an unusual family structure in which females could enter into a number of marriages but the males did not reside with the women; they were free to join the military. The residential family was composed of a group of sisters, their children, and the women's brothers, who were the resident males of the family.

A) Aztec
B) Maya
C) Nayar
D) Nuer
E) Yanomamö

Question 39

In ancient agricultural states, religion sanctified and legitimized the authority of political leaders.

Question 40

Bridewealth occurs frequently in horticultural societies, whereas goods and wealth paid by the bride's family to the groom's family is most common in agricultural states. This type of marital exchange is known as the:

A) quick fix
B) dowry
C) groomwealth
D) rombat
E) moiety

Question 41

Why do you think marriages of the elite were frequently endogamous, while peasants generally married outside their extended families or large kin groups?

Question 42

How do property rights differ in agricultural states from those in forager and tribal societies?

Question 43

Are marriage patterns and social ties in agricultural states independent of economic and political considerations? If so, why? If not, what are some of the economic and political implications of marriage patterns and other social ties?

Question 44

The first codified laws originated in the Near Eastern civilization of Babylon. Based on standardized procedures for dealing with civil and criminal offenses, this Babylonian code of law is known as the:

A) Laws of Babylon
B) Precepts of Order
C) Code of Hammurabi
D) Civil Enactments of Order
E) Laws of Respect

Question 45

Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are considered religions because their spiritual messages apply to all of humanity rather than just their own cultural history and legacy.

A) ecclesiastical
B) animistic
C) universalistic
D) volatile
E) restrained

Question 46

Slavery took on different forms depending upon the political economies and demographic features of the agricultural state society. For example, in some African societies, slavery corresponded to an "open system" in which slaves could be incorporated into domestic kin groups and even become upwardly mobile. In contrast, "closed systems" of slavery provided no opportunities for upward mobility or incorporation into kin groups. The open system of slavery occurred:

A) where land was scarce and population density high
B) where land was relatively abundant and less populated
C) in areas that had rigid caste systems such as Greece, Rome, and China
D) when there was a lot of surplus generated from agriculture, and new markets needed to be opened to accommodate the distribution of this excess wealth

Question 47

According to Morton Fried, codified laws reinforce a system of inequity by keeping peasants subordinate while allowing those in power to have access to scarce resources. Service provides a different perspective. What is Service's perspective?

Question 48

Compare and contrast the nature of divorce in agricultural states, chiefdoms, tribes, and forager societies. Do you see any parallels, or is divorce simply a cultural facet that does not relate to the rest of society?

Question 49

Social inequality is exemplified in the __________ of India. These social units are endogamous groupings into which a person is born and dies.

A) purdah system
B) shogun scheme
C) caste system
D) slavery system
E) achieved status norms

Question 50

State organized rituals that reinforced divine authority of the ruler are known as:

A) rites of authority
B) rites of legitimation
C) rites of power
D) ceremonies of intimidation
E) rituals of sanctification

Question 51

State organized rituals were also referred to as:

A) rites of legitimation
B) universalistic religions
C) ecclesiastical religions
D) religious traditions

Question 52

What are some of the advantages of having an extended family organization in an agricultural state as opposed to an autonomous nuclear family?

Question 53

Discuss the relationships among gender, subsistence, and status in agricultural states. How does the picture that emerges differ from the one for any of the following groups: (1) foragers, (2) tribes, or (3) chiefdoms?

Question 54

How does the dowry differ from bridewealth? What are some of the functions of a dowry?

Question 55

The transition from foraging to food production (domestication of plants and animals) was accompanied by a number of features. What changes or factors are associated with this transition?

Question 56

What are the current theories concerning Aztec warfare? Discuss the unique position human sacrifice held in the Aztec religion.

Question 57

Of the following, which is NOT a stated reason for the collapse of state-level societies?

A) an innate, inevitable aspect of society
B) depletion of key resources
C) human mismanagement
D) climate change
E) people tired of repressive governments
Essay Questions

Question 58

Why is monogamy the primary form of marriage in agricultural states? Is polygyny allowed or practiced in any agricultural states? Are there any restrictions on who can enter into a polygynous union?

Question 59

In many agricultural states, women were restricted to domestic activities while men were permitted to engage in public (outside) endeavors. Women were often not allowed to own property, engage in politics, or pursue educational goals. These restrictions were reflected in a number of cultural practices such as:

A) purdah and foot binding
B) caste system
C) idiographic mediation
D) dowry and bridewealth
E) samurai and shogun

Question 60

If you were an archaeologist excavating a site, how would you determine if the site was an agricultural state (civilization) or not? What evidence would you look for, and what criteria would you use?

Question 61

Review at least four reasons for state-level society collapse. Which do you think is the most rational? Explain why.

Question 62

What theories account for the structural similarities between the Egyptian pyramids and those in Mesoamerica?

Question 63

It has been argued that warfare and conquest were instrumental in the development of agricultural states. Do you agree with this view?