Question

Aboriginal society remained "stateless", in the sense of possessing no administrative institutions, largely because:

a. The shamans recognized no presence of "state" in their tribe's Dreamtime.
b. No agriculture meant that there was no agricultural surplus available to promote trade and a further stratification of society.
c. Elders in positions of authority were trained in the effective wielding of weapons, and the general populace willingly surrendered power to them, rendering an enforcement mechanism unnecessary.
d. Rapidly moving glaciers had destroyed their governmental buildings, and it was thought unwise to rebuild them and drawn down the gods' anger.

Answer 1

Aboriginal societies remained 'stateless' mainly because of their subsistence lifestyle and kinship-based organizations, rather than agricultural resource control that enables state formation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Aboriginal society remained "stateless," lacking administrative institutions, primarily due to their subsistence living and kinship-based organization rather than the accumulation and control of resources through agriculture. Cultural perspectives, such as those held by shamans regarding the Dreamtime, also influenced this structure. Since resources like food were acquired through hunting and gathering, it was difficult for political authorities to exercise control. As a result, these societies lacked the hierarchical structures typical of states that arose with the advent of agriculture. Stateless societies organized themselves in different ways, sometimes through extended family structures or councils, as seen in various indigenous communities who adapted to their local environments and maintained autonomy without overarching authority.