[adamc]

Former anthropologist (through to PhD, anyhow) here. I think there is benefit in having simpler theories, because they are easier to test. There are so many limitations in getting adequate data to test historical theories anyway... I am always skeptical that what we have is a "just so" story that of course fits the data, since people knew the general shape of the data before proposing the theory.

[RajT88]

Indeed, it's interesting to think about how rice production might have influenced the culture.

But to do so without mentioning Buddhism or Confucian thought at least in passing is weird. I assume his take would be that these philosophies were emergent from the culture of rice farming.

[candiddevmike]

Any book recommendations?

[adamc]

Not offhand.