Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Welcome to the fourth part of my societies and culture worldbuilding guide series, which is a sort of season 2 of my worldbuilding guide series. These videos build off the physical world building we've already done. Part 4 will include talking about state-building, hunter-gatherers, and creating an antiquity map!

NOTE this video was originally uploaded on my channel Madeline James Writes on May 16th, 2024.

Worldbuilding Guide Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn7WXgrNpwt8oacNNCASGpaQ0CMamePla&si=fAvNihY1YEAtmk7o

Worldbuilding Guide Blog: madelinejameswrites.com/worldbuilding-guide

Antiquity Blog: madelinejameswrites.com/blog/antiquity

00:00 Intro and Plan
02:19 Guide Updates/Resources
05:12 State Definition
08:34 Crop Domestication and Sedentism
10:38 Substinence Barbarians Overview
13:32 Early State Overview
17:36 Why and How States Formed
20:03 Agriculture, Coercion, Taxation, and Centralization
24:37 Prevalence of States and Traders
27:09 Condition for States
28:51 Let's Start Mapping
30:54 Mapping States
43:26 Mapping Traders
45:21 Mapping Settled Groups
46:57 Mapping Migratory Groups
48:28 What's Next

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Website: madelinejameswrites.com