Anthropology Practice Test 2025 – The Comprehensive All-in-One Guide for Exam Success

The selected answer accurately reflects the social stratification characteristic of archaic states. In these societies, elites typically had restricted access to luxury goods, which were often reserved for those in higher social classes. This access is defined by their power, wealth, and social status, which allowed them to acquire and display items that were not accessible to lower classes. The concentration of luxury goods among elites served to reinforce their status and authority within the social hierarchy.

In contrast, the other statements do not align with the socio-economic structures observed in archaic states. The notion that all social classes have equal access to resources is inconsistent with the hierarchical organization where wealth and power determine resource distribution. The idea that elites primarily rely on communal resources overlooks their ability to control and access goods beyond communal provisions. Lastly, the assertion that only commoners have access to essential goods ignores the fact that elites often had preferential access to all types of goods, including those essential for daily life, as they held the economic resources to acquire them.