these are arguably a lot more like “large, organized civilizations” than “isolated bands of foragers”
It’s the “isolated” word that’s carrying most of the weight here and I don’t see any reason to consider the hunter-gatherer tribes of that age isolated.
Now, contemporary stone-age tribes are all very isolated, but that is clearly a selection effect. If you’re a forager tribe 10 kya, why wouldn’t you interact (sometimes cooperate, sometimes fight) with other similar tribes around you?
It’s the “isolated” word that’s carrying most of the weight here and I don’t see any reason to consider the hunter-gatherer tribes of that age isolated.
Now, contemporary stone-age tribes are all very isolated, but that is clearly a selection effect. If you’re a forager tribe 10 kya, why wouldn’t you interact (sometimes cooperate, sometimes fight) with other similar tribes around you?