| State | Leader & Symbolic Role | Method of Unification | Ruler’s Means of Control |
| Egypt | Pharoh (herdsman) sometimes functions as god. | Organizing labor to manage floods; distribution of food; use of Nile River as highway to unify, control. | Pharaoh’s commands, policies function as law, regarded as devine. |
| Mesopotamia city-states | King/Royals, mediate, lead, worship, receive oracles. | Organizing labor; distributing food; competition with other city-states. | Earliest law codes; rituals performed by oracles guide decision making. |
| China | Emperor/engineer, builder, hunter, takes on shaman’s role in receiving prophecies. | Organizing dike building, irrigation; use of Yellow River (Huang Ho) as highway to unify and control. | Ritual divination using oracle bones – foretelling future interpreting will of spirits. |
| Harappa | Uncertain if singular ruler of priests dominated ruling class. | Harnessing river, irrigation; distributing food; engineering and construction of complex urban systems. | Unknown; widespread standardization of measurements and trade point to coordination/leadership |
