Final answer:
Pristine states are the earliest forms of organized societies with distinct political structures, emerging with agriculture 12,000 years ago. Stateless societies, as experienced by hunter-gatherers, lacked formal structures and centralized political authority. The historical perspective on these societies challenges the notion that history is solely the history of state societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
"Pristine states" refer to the earliest forms of organized society with distinct political structures. These appeared approximately 12,000 years ago with the advent of agriculture, when human societies transitioned from being nomadic hunter-gatherers to settling in one place, which allowed for the accumulation of resources and the emergence of political authority and governance. Sociologist Anthony Giddens did not specifically define "pristine states," but he discussed historical development of social structures. According to Giddens and other scholars, the three characteristics broadly defining states are a bureaucratic administrative system, a legal system, and a defined territory under the government's control.
Before the formation of pristine states, human societies operated as stateless societies, which were social organizations without the formal structures and political authority of a state. In such societies, economic and social affairs were generally managed without centralized control, often through tribal or clan-based systems. Stateless societies were prevalent during the majority of human history, specifically in the period when humans were predominantly hunters and gatherers. These societies often lacked permanent structures, making the archaeological study and historical documentation challenging.
Understanding the existence and organization of such societies provides a broader perspective on human social development and challenges the assumption that history is equivalent to the history of state societies.