chiefdom

the territory and people lead by a hereditary chief; also, a common term for a form of human social organization that incorporates multiple communities into a single hierarchical social unit that has, as a basic part of its structure, institutionalized differences in social status (ranking)

Recent researchers have challenged the use of this concept for peoples who lived across Southeastern North America in prehistory.

Posted online on Monday, January 1st, 2001

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