A global study of 186 traditional societies found evidence supporting the theory that low-alcohol fermented beverages played a role in the evolution of political complexity, contributing to the development of hierarchical political systems with multiple levels of governance. Published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, the research suggests that traditional alcoholic beverages may have helped early societies evolve into more complex political structures, according to The Drinks Business.
The study utilized causal inference techniques to demonstrate that cultures with indigenous alcoholic drinks were more likely to develop hierarchical political systems with multiple layers of governance. "Drinking together makes people feel part of a collective," the authors argued, "and this collective sense is critical when societies transition from localized kin-based groups to multi-tiered political entities."
Alcohol-fueled feasting was used by emerging elites to mobilize labor, build alliances, and consolidate control. "Alcohol was a tool of soft power. By supplying a valued good, leaders built loyalty and embedded their authority in everyday life," the authors explained. The study points out the roles alcohol played in early societies, particularly in political and ceremonial contexts, including its significance during feasts.
While the findings lent support to the so-called "drunk hypothesis"—the idea that alcohol helped humans live in large, cooperative groups—the researchers cautioned that alcohol alone could not explain the emergence of complex societies. "Our results suggest that alcohol may have been a supporting actor, not the protagonist, in the story of civilization," they wrote.
Intensive farming remained the dominant force enabling food surpluses, population growth, and long-term settlement—all essential for building states. When agriculture was factored in, the impact of alcohol on political complexity dropped. "We should not romanticize alcohol, but neither should we forget its formative role in the human story," the authors put it.
Communal drinking rituals often reinforced social cohesion in early societies. According to The Drinks Business, the study found that alcohol's influence on political complexity was modest by comparison but not negligible. The relationship between alcohol and complexity was not universal. The study found that indigenous alcohol was notably absent in many parts of North America and Oceania.
Geography, alternative intoxicants, and cultural preferences shaped each society's drinking behavior. "It could bind or break a group, depending on how it was used," the researchers noted. While traditional fermented beverages often promoted cohesion, there were cases where feasting led to conflict.
The authors concluded, "Alcohol was likely one of many tools—alongside music, ritual, and belief—that enabled human groups to scale up and stay together." The research adds historical resonance to the image of people raising a glass together, not just to celebrate, but to build society itself.
According to the study's authors Václav Hrnčíř, Angela M. Chira, and Russell D. Gray, alcohol's social properties—bonding, trust-building, and creativity—may have helped groups cohere, cooperate, and consolidate power. As seen in archaeological records from Mesopotamia, China, and South America, rulers invested heavily in alcohol production, distribution, and consumption.
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