BlueSky Thinking Summary

Leander Heldring and his team reconsider the emergence of states by looking at ancient Sumerian society.

They investigated the two competing reasons for the emergence of early states, either as the result of co-operative needs or because of extraction on the part of powerful groups, using archaeological evidence and historical records, with their main focus being on how changes in river courses influenced state formation.

Their findings confirm the cooperative theory, where the first governments arose to assist in managing collective problems such as irrigation of rivers and facilitated publicly beneficial projects, for instance, canals.

Shifts in the administrative functions of this period also extend from "chief" to "chairperson," which suggests that this type of governance was growing increasingly professionalized.

Heldring's work sheds light on the fact that though the origins of primitive governments were essentially cooperative, they tend to be potentially coercive.

This historical perspective invites reflection on our current relationship with government: is it a partner in progress or a force to be managed?