“Stones of Unequal Weight: A 10,000-Year Reflection on Inequality”

🌀 Thematic Focus

Category: History | Society | Inequality
“Unequal Foundations: Inequality & the Life of Settlements”

🧱 Key Highlights

• Persistent Inequality: Economic inequality has existed in human societies for over 10,000 years, according to archaeological records.
• Massive Dataset: Researchers studied over 2,990 sites and 50,000+ houses worldwide, measuring house sizes to infer material disparity.
• Correlation, Not Causation: Longer-lasting settlements often showed more inequality, but inequality was not the cause of longevity.
• Urban Growth and Disparity: Urban complexity often accompanied resource extraction and increased wealth gaps.
• Notable Exceptions: Societies like Mohenjo-daro, Athens, Monte Albán, and Teotihuacan balanced longevity with relative equity.
• Modern Echo: As urbanisation grows, inequality and sustainability are on a collision path—lessons from the past may guide a just future.

🧠 Concept Explainer

The Deep History of Economic Disparity

Economic inequality isn’t just a modern issue—it’s etched into the very architecture of human history. From simple huts to grand palaces, inequality found form in stone. Yet, endurance wasn’t always the child of disparity. Some societies thrived without vast divides. This nuanced story teaches us that structure alone does not shape destiny—choices do.

📜 GS Paper Mapping

• GS Paper I: History – Ancient Civilisations and Urban Planning
• GS Paper II: Social Justice – Equity and Inclusive Development
• GS Paper III: Sustainable Development – Urbanisation & Economic Equity

💭 A Thought Spark — by IAS Monk

“The ruins of a city do not lie—they whisper whether wealth built bridges or walls. To last is not merely to live long, but to live justly.”