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82

4/12 - Barth's Persian nomads (contd)

sheep & some goats
400 about max herd can handle, no sheep dogs, min 60 to support a family; buy tools, grain food & veg from settled agriculturalists & sell wool, meat & hides

pasturalists try to kill as few animals as poss. since ewe will continue producing lambs, milk & butter & both ewes & rams produce wool

need body of men to protect herds from raiders from other groups
owner of a flock has rt. to decide when to move & whether to stay w/ large group or not
dangerous, however, to get to isolated because raiders more likely to attack

as sons grow up each gets a share based on size of herd at that time - - if 4 sons, the oldest gets 1/4 when he marries, the next gets 1/3 of remainder when he marries etc.
each son becomes pol. [[politically]] & soc. [[socially]] autonomous when marries
pol. [[politically]] advantageous, however, to stay in

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father's camp & form alliance w/ father & brothers
that boy is strange!

ecol. circumstances force the movement up the mtns in summer & down in winter
conceptual model of a moving box

migration timed so come thru settled villages at time stubble in fields & from farmers pt of view get manuer

Barth suprised [[surprised]] at how little info. flow between camps
above the family head no pol levels till the Khan, who is an absolute ruler
Khan spends part of the time in urban areas
Khan need not follow any trad laws & can order death of any man
don't obviously bring a case to the Khan except as a last resort

why have a Khan?
1. need some way to settle disputes between camps