Summary
This project investigates prehistoric farming practices to understand how wealth and inequality are generated under conditions of crisis. Intensive farming and the control of agricultural surplus have long been understood as key factors amplifying social inequality. In turn, during periods of ecological and social instability, it is assumed that farmers adopt more diverse and dispersed farming and herding strategies, resulting in limited wealth and inequality. Yet, this traditional account makes simplistic assumptions about the relationship between food production, the environment, and sociopo