n a primitive communist society, all able bodied persons would have engaged in obtaining food, and everyone would share in what was produced by hunting and gathering. There would be no private property, which is distinguished from personal property such as articles of clothing and similar personal items, because primitive society produced no surplus; what was produced was quickly consumed and this was because there existed no division of labour, hence people were forced to work together. The few things that existed for any length of time (
tools,
housing) were held communally, in Engels' view in association with matrilocal residence and matrilineal descent; There would have been no
state.
Domestication of animals and plants following the
Neolithic Revolution through
herding and
agriculture was seen as the turning point from primitive communism to
class society as it was followed by private ownership and
slavery, with the inequality that they entailed. In addition, parts of the population specialized in different activities, such as manufacturing,
culture,
philosophy, and
science which is said to lead to the development of
social classes.
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Throughout most of human prehistory, humans lived in a largely "communist," egalitarian societies whereby private ownership beyond the bare essentials was unknown!
While the agricultural revolution and the rise of the city-states has been characterized as progress, it was actually a step backward in terms of the diet/health of the average individual and relationships with one's neighbors!
