### p54 control of food surplus leads to social hierarchy > Those groups or individuals who control access to stored surplus can assume highly advantageous social and economic positions by reneging on their social obligations with impunity. By restricting access to stored surplus, groups or individuals gain an advantageous economic position in the society, thereby developing the basis for social inequality. These conditions may produce the beginnings of class differentiation and cultural complexity - [[Domestic Storage Behavior in Mesoamerica#p54 control of food surplus leads to social hierarchy|View in Vault]]