This chapter introduces “conquest societies” as a societal formation that became only possible with the advent of agriculture that is able to produce reliable surpluses. These surpluses allow for larger and more permanent settlements as well as an increasing specialization and division of labor. In conquest societies, the horizontal division of labor is complemented by an unprecedented degree of vertical stratification. In terms of classification, the social world is divided between the high and the low, the rulers and the ruled, the masters and the slaves, between mobile warriors and local peasants. Beyond social stratification, verticality becomes also important as a general principle of classification, of ordering the world. Furthermore, markets emerge, allowing for trade between different localities, and the invention of money speeds up the circulation of goods and services. Power consolidates and circulates too, mainly in the form of patrimonialism. Finally and with regard to representation, we witness the construction of temples and monuments, while the invention of writing leads to the emergence of texts.