49. The Dawn of Everything

In the first episode of a series on slavery, hosts Anita and William interview David Wengrow, co-author of "The Dawn of Everything," to discuss the origins and nature of slavery in early human societies. Wengrow challenges the standard narrative that agriculture and civilization led to inequality and slavery, arguing that hunter-gatherer societies exhibited diverse political systems, some early cities were egalitarian, and slavery predates agriculture. The conversation explores archaeological evidence from sites like Gobekli Tepe and Uruk, revealing complex social structures, seasonal hierarchies, and forms of labor organization such as corvée. They discuss the construction of the pyramids, the role of women, and the shift towards more brutal forms of slavery in later empires, questioning common assumptions about slavery's inevitability and its connection to specific modes of production.