JaredDiamond (in GunsGermsAndSteel) suggests 4 scales of social organization : bands, tribes, chiefdoms and states. (ReadWith) SocialComplexity
Tables adapted from the book :
Scale and settlement
| Name | Number | Settlement Pattern | Hierarachy of settlement | Public Architecture |
| Band | dozens | nomadic | no | no |
| Tribe | hundreds | fixed, 1 village | no | no |
| Chiefdom | thousands | fixed, 1 + villages | no -> paramount village | no -> yes || |
| State | over 50,000 | many villages and cities | capital | yes |
Scale and Economy
| Name | Food production? | Division of labour | Exchange [1] |
| Band | no | no | reciprocal |
| Tribe | no -> yes | no | reciprocal |
| Chiefdom | yes -> intensive | no -> yes | redistributive ("tribute") |
| State | intensive | yes | redistributive ("taxes") |
Scale and Political Power (See also PoliticalStuff)
| Name | Decision-making | Monopoly of force and info | Conflict Resolution | Bureaucracy | Control of land |
| Band | "egalitarian" (public open discussion) | no | informal | none | band |
| Tribe | "egalitarian" (public open discussion) with influencial but informal "big men" | no | informal | none | clan |
| Chiefdom | centralized / hereditary role | yes | centralized | none -> 1 or 2 levels (usually fereditary) | chief |
| State | centralized / hereditary -> democracy | yes | laws / judges | many levels | various |
Scale and Social Organization
| Name | Basis of Relationships | Stratified | Maybe Slavery | Luxury goods for elite |
| Band | Kin (Band related) | no | no | no |
| Tribe | Kin-based clans | no | no | no |
| Chiefdom | caste / class and residence | yes, by kin | no -> yes | no -> yes |
| State | class and residence | yes, not necessarily by kin | yes | yes |
Scale and Culture
| Name | Religion justifies kleptocracy | Indigenous literacy |
| Band | no | no |
| Tribe | no | no |
| Chiefdom | yes | no |
| State | yes | often |