Among the views of contemporary cultural antropologists on the origins of the state,that of Robert Carneiro in the Natural Museum in New York is unique and very influential.This article introduces his circumscription theory,mainly his discussions on the relations between cultural evolution and geographical environment and the role of wars in the origins of the chiefdom and the state,and his two supplementary doctrines of resource concentration and social circumscription.It also briefly discusses his definitions of the chiefdom and the state and points out their shortcomings.Furthermore,the article reveals an inconsistency between Carneiro’s conclusion on the role of wars in the origins of the chiefdom and his supportive materials.
