Cannibals and Kings ISBN 0394407652 (1977) is a book written by Marvin Harris. The book presents a systematic discussion of ideas about the reasons for a culture making a transiton by stages from egalitarian hunter-gatherer to hierarchically based nationhood as population density increases.
According to Harris when intensive agriculture began humans shifted from a low carbohydrate diet largely based on hunter-gatherer sources to a high carbohydrate diet largely based on agricultural sources. This diet change resulted in more body fat, which for females led to earlier menarche and a smaller reduction in fertility from nursing infants, which then led to shorter periods between pregnancies. Harris also describes the state of the world in the late 19th century as one of approaching catastrophe as predicted by Malthus (Malthusian catastrophe). Harris then discusses three 20th century innovations that explain this postponement of the catastrophe: the exploitation of petroleum, reliable contraceptives, and social changes in some cultures that make smaller families more desirable.
Harris then discusses three 20th century innovations that explain this postponement of the catastrophe: the exploitation of petroleum, reliable contraceptives, and social changes in some cultures that make smaller families more desirable.
Cannibals and Kings is divided in several chapters:
Harris discusses the development of pork as a taboo food in ancient Israelite society.
It is clear that nutritional-biology was not a key factor in Aztec sacrificial cannibalism, neither in its instigation nor its evolution.
However, reinforcing the social structure of Aztec society could have never become the primary function of sacrificial cannibalism, because the fluid system of class movement which it encouraged was not universally popular, as it allowed the lower classes to gain noble status by dint of their military prowess.
Despite this, the effectiveness of this method of population control cannot be disputed, and it is conceivable that war under religious pretexts did become of at least equable import to the Aztecs.
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