Inequality

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Inequality is a pressing global issue, prompting discussions among pundits, politicians, and academics. Carles Lalueza-Fox offers a fresh perspective by examining the genetic traces of inequality throughout history. Utilizing advanced DNA sequencing technologies, he reveals how past societies exhibited layers of inequality through migration patterns, social structures, and funerary practices. Ancient skeletons provide insights into the stories of inequality, bias, and suffering embedded in our genetic makeup. As a leader in paleogenomics, Lalueza-Fox delves into the deep history of inequality, highlighting ancestral shifts linked to migration. He uncovers gender biases, such as the stark sexual asymmetries between male European explorers and Latin American women, illuminated by DNA analysis. The author also investigates social hierarchies, demonstrating that high social status was often inherited, indicating that the ancient world lacked meritocracy. He disentangles social and genetic factors to explore how wealth influences reproductive success, suggesting that we are more likely to be descendants of kings than peasants. Ultimately, Lalueza-Fox argues that understanding historical inequalities is crucial for comprehending contemporary ones.