The long-term link between wealth inequality and sustainability – dating back over 10,000 years – is the topic of a new study by researchers at Durham University.
Led by Professor Dan Lawrence, and taking into account the UN’s definition of sustainability as being able to meet present needs without compromising those of the future, the research examines the level to which societies marked by equality or inequality were more sustainable across the span of human history.
Unequal wealth distribution
According to the research, settlements with more unequal distribution of wealth tended to last longer, particularly in more complex societies. Unequal cities tended to have a longer lifespan than more egalitarian rural communities, for example.
However, the study stops short of suggesting that inequality is a direct cause of long-term settlement survival, with examples of long-lasting societies with relatively low levels of inequality.
Analysing homes and settlements
The researchers assessed more than 47,500 houses and settlements from nearly 3,000 historical sites worldwide, and compared these with data on how long the respective settlements remained occupied. In conducting the study, the researchers sought to determine whether understanding the roots and outcomes of inequality in past societies could guide more thoughtful and equitable planning for a sustainable future.
The study, which featured in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal, forms part of a broader collaborative project, which involves contributions from teams across Europe and the United States and was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Coalition for Archaeological Synthesis, and the Centre for Collaborative Synthesis in Archaeology.
Durham University’s work on the project was backed by the European Research Council’s Horizon 2020 programme. Read more here.
