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Burying the Hatchet

Author

Listed:
  • Colin Harris
  • Adam Kaiser

Abstract

Why do people bury items with their dead? We provide a theory of grave goods as a mechanism to mitigate internal conflict. Where inheritance laws are ambiguous and low-cost mechanisms for dispute resolution do not exist, deliberately destroying wealth can prevent conflict over the redistribution of assets following a death. Rather than engage in costly infighting over inheritance, the parties agree to mutual destruction through a shared cultural practice of grave goods. We test our theory using evidence from saga era Vikings. JEL codes: N4, K0, D3, H1

Suggested Citation

  • Colin Harris & Adam Kaiser, 2020. "Burying the Hatchet," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 130(6), pages 1025-1044.
    • Handle: RePEc:cai:repdal:redp_306_0183
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peter T. Leeson, 2009. "The Laws of Lawlessness," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 38(2), pages 471-503, June.
    2. Leeson, Peter T., 2014. "Human Sacrifice," Review of Behavioral Economics, now publishers, vol. 1(1-2), pages 137-165, January.
    3. Volckart, Oliver, 2004. "The economics of feuding in late medieval Germany," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 282-299, July.
    4. Peter Leeson, 2013. "Gypsy law," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 155(3), pages 273-292, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Harris,Colin & Cai,Meina & Murtazashvili,Ilia & Murtazashvili,Jennifer Brick, 2020. "The Origins and Consequences of Property Rights," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781108969055.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Grave Goods; Vikings; Medieval Iceland; Conflict; Inheritance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N4 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation
    • K0 - Law and Economics - - General
    • D3 - Microeconomics - - Distribution
    • H1 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government

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