The study of ranking and social inequality in archaeology is based on the anthropological and economic studies of Elman Service (Primitive Social Organization, 1962) and Morton Fried (Evolution of Political Societies, 1967).
Basically, these works argue that there are two ways in which ranking of people in a society is arrived at: achieved status (resulting from being a great warrior or artisan) and ascribed status (inherited from a parent or other relative).
The most useful way for archaeologists to take a look at the way a culture ranks its people is through the study of burials, specifically what kinds of grave goods are buried with whom.
Sources for Ranking
This glossary entry is a part of the About.com Guide to the Characteristics of Ancient Civilizations, and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
A fairly brief bibliography of ranking and social stratification has been collected for this entry.
