Primitive culture

Introduction
Nomadic societies
The Plains Indians
Settled hunting and gathering societies
Horticultural societies
Herding societies
Peasant societies
- Historical and geographic survey
- Types of peasant societies
  - The community of self-serving households
  - The village with internal specialization and exchange
  - European peasant society
  - Latin American peasant societies
  - The closed regional market system
  - Other peasant societies
- General characteristics of the peasant economy

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Primitive culture

anthropology

Also known as: nonurban culture, nonurban society

Written by

Elman R. Service

Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1968–85. Investigator of the economic and social organization of primitive cultures. Author of Primitive Social Organization.

Elman R. Service

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Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

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Last updated

Nov. 6, 2026 •History

Primitive culture, in the lexicon of early anthropologists, any of numerous societies characterized by features that may include lack of a written language, relative isolation, small population, relatively simple social institutions and technology, and a generally slow rate of sociocultural change. In some of these cultures history and beliefs are passed on through an oral tradition and may be the province of a person or group especially trained for the purpose. Culture is discussed in...

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