Thank you and yes, you’ve assessed it correctly. If you’ve got small tribes who are mostly extended families, abundant food, and the ability to move on to the next place if it’s starting to get crowded or resources dwindle, you have no need to fight. As people settle, own land and more personal property, there is more to fight about. Hierarchical structure begins to emerge from this change in the situation.

One early agricultural settlement, Çatalhöyük, stayed egalitarian and peaceful for several thousand years, but eventually gave way to a more hierarchical and proto-patriarchal structure. Still, it’s a fascinating settlement that has been studied in depth for decades.

Çatalhöyük — Ancient Land Of Peace And Egalitarianism