Rethinking the social structure of ancient Eurasian nomads. ScienceDaily . Retrieved June 2, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com / releases / 2012 / 02 / 120224140617.htm ...

Prehistoric Eurasian nomads are commonly perceived as horse riding bandits who utilized their mobility and military skill to antagonize ancient civilizations such as the Chinese, Persians, and Greeks.

But ancient cities and civilizations do help untangle which social and economic factors promote relative democracy — and which tend to promote despotism and autocracy, Feinman said.

Chaco Canyon’s ancient civilization continues to puzzle. ... “Huge pronouncements about Chaco social structure are being made based on partial, flawed data,” she says.

The enormous stone structure, complete with angular steps and flat terraces, looks uncannily like the ruins of a man-made temple — despite being over 10,000 years old.