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world1d ago
Did this ancient society thrive without elites?
- New study in Antiquity questions elite rule in Mohenjo-Daro, suggesting possible egalitarian governance.
- Researchers use house size as wealth proxy to measure inequality in Mohenjo-Daro.
- Gini coefficient for Mohenjo-Daro neighborhood dropped from about 0.39 to 0.23 over time, signaling greater equality.
- Experts debate whether the lack of elites proves a truly equal society or limited data.
- The study links rising urban organization to potential equality gains in Mohenjo-Daro.
- Scholars caution that more field work could change the interpretation of Indus egalitarianism.
- Some scientists argue absence of elites is not definitive proof of egalitarianism.
- Indus egalitarian ideas contrast with Mesopotamian patterns of wealth and power.
- The Global Dynamics of Inequality project provides broader context for ancient wealth distribution.
- Experts emphasize each site requires multiple lines of evidence to gauge past equality.
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