This study investigates the time-hardened question of whether alcohol had any role in the evolution of complex societies, aka the “drunk’ hypothesis. Although indigenous alcoholic beverages are found in about 50% of societies around the world largely excluding native North America and Oceania, low-alcohol fermented drinks have been known to aid in social cohesion, maintaining political ties (through feasting), and rituals. While it is clear alcohol is not a direct indicator of social complexity, when controlling for agriculture and other major factors, the relationship between the two is significant.

This study investigates the time-hardened question of whether alcohol had any role in the evolution of complex societies, aka the “drunk’ hypothesis. Although indigenous alcoholic beverages are found in about 50% of societies around the world largely excluding native North America and Oceania, low-alcohol fermented drinks have been known to aid in social cohesion, maintaining political ties (through feasting), and rituals. While it is clear alcohol is not a direct indicator of social complexity, when controlling for agriculture and other major factors, the relationship between the two is significant.

This study investigates the time-hardened question of whether alcohol had any role in the evolution of complex societies, aka the “drunk’ hypothesis. Although indigenous alcoholic beverages are found in about 50% of societies around the world largely excluding native North America and Oceania, low-alcohol fermented drinks have been known to aid in social cohesion, maintaining political ties (through feasting), and rituals. While it is clear alcohol is not a direct indicator of social complexity, when controlling for agriculture and other major factors, the relationship between the two is significant.

This study investigates the time-hardened question of whether alcohol had any role in the evolution of complex societies, aka the “drunk’ hypothesis. Although indigenous alcoholic beverages are found in about 50% of societies around the world largely excluding native North America and Oceania, low-alcohol fermented drinks have been known to aid in social cohesion, maintaining political ties (through feasting), and rituals. While it is clear alcohol is not a direct indicator of social complexity, when controlling for agriculture and other major factors, the relationship between the two is significant.

This study investigates the time-hardened question of whether alcohol had any role in the evolution of complex societies, aka the “drunk’ hypothesis. Although indigenous alcoholic beverages are found in about 50% of societies around the world largely excluding native North America and Oceania, low-alcohol fermented drinks have been known to aid in social cohesion, maintaining political ties (through feasting), and rituals. While it is clear alcohol is not a direct indicator of social complexity, when controlling for agriculture and other major factors, the relationship between the two is significant.

Using phylogenetic methods, this research examines the relationship between landesque capital intensive agriculture ("permanent changes to landscape, such as construction of terraces and irrigation canals"(3631)) , political complexity, and social stratification amongst 155 Austronesian-speaking societies. Researchers attempted to find an underlying causality between the above mentioned variables, which have already been shown to be cross-culturally related. Results of statistical testing are most consistent with their being no clear causal link between the tested variables. The researchers claim this demonstrates social complexity and the multifaceted nature of cultural evolution.

This study investigates the time-hardened question of whether alcohol had any role in the evolution of complex societies, aka the “drunk’ hypothesis. Although indigenous alcoholic beverages are found in about 50% of societies around the world largely excluding native North America and Oceania, low-alcohol fermented drinks have been known to aid in social cohesion, maintaining political ties (through feasting), and rituals. While it is clear alcohol is not a direct indicator of social complexity, when controlling for agriculture and other major factors, the relationship between the two is significant.

Using phylogenetic methods, this research examines the relationship between landesque capital intensive agriculture ("permanent changes to landscape, such as construction of terraces and irrigation canals"(3631)) , political complexity, and social stratification amongst 155 Austronesian-speaking societies. Researchers attempted to find an underlying causality between the above mentioned variables, which have already been shown to be cross-culturally related. Results of statistical testing are most consistent with their being no clear causal link between the tested variables. The researchers claim this demonstrates social complexity and the multifaceted nature of cultural evolution.

This study tests the relationship between population pressure and social evolution in agricultural societies. The author predicts that population pressure will be positively related to the evolution of descent, political integration, and class stratification. Results support this prediction.

Researchers examined kinships terminology systems for explanations regarding specifically observed typology of kin terms for cousins cross-culturally. They explore two theories, the first relating to population size via bottleneck evolution, and the second relating to social practices that shape kinship systems. Using the Ethnographic Atlas within D-PLACE, 936 societies with kinship system information were studied. The findings did not suggest a relationship between increased community size and a decrease in kinship complexity, however the research does suggest a relationship between practices of marriage and descent and kinship complexity.