Surplus — Social Studies definition
Defined in 2 courses:
- More food than a community needs to eat right away, which can be stored for later or traded to others. (Ancient Civilizations)
- Production remaining beyond a defined set of requirements. (Global History & Geography I: Early Societies to c. 1750)
Where it is taught
- The Neolithic (Agricultural) Revolution — Early Humans & the Neolithic Revolution, Ancient Civilizations, Grade 6
- Agriculture, Domestication & Uneven Change — Historical Inquiry & Early Societies, Global History & Geography I: Early Societies to c. 1750, Grade 9
In use
A surplus exceeds the relevant immediate requirement, but its size, storage and access vary.
The Neolithic (Agricultural) Revolution
Questions using surplus
Problem 1
Why does surplus not automatically create a centralized state?
Answer and explanation
Specialization depends on food access and social arrangements as well as total output. A community producing extra grain does not automatically become a city or monarchy. Explain who controls storage and how other workers obtain food before proposing a causal connection.