Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind · chapter 5 · id sapiens-c5-03-hunter-gatherers-worked-fewer-

“Hunter-gatherers worked fewer hours than farmers, enjoying more leisure time -- the 'original affluent society.'”

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Receipts

Sahlins (1972), Stone Age Economics, AldineDOI registry: valid

The 'Original Affluent Society' thesis: foragers worked only 3-5 hours per day of direct food procurement, with abundant leisure. Based primarily on Richard Lee's !Kung San data (~15-20 hours/week of food procurement).

Pontzer et al. (2012), PLoS ONE 7(7):e40503DOI registry: valid

Hadza hunter-gatherers' total daily energy expenditure is similar to Western populations despite very different activity patterns, challenging simplistic 'foragers do less' narratives.

Sackett (1996), PhD Dissertation, UCLA -- 'Time, Energy, and the Indolent Savage'paywalled — manual check queued

When all subsistence-related activities are included (food processing, tool making, camp maintenance, childcare), forager work hours are closer to 40-50 hours per week, not 15-20.

This claim is a stable, citable object. If you can falsify a verdict, tell us — corrections are loud here.