Age+Groups

Age groups served as another cross-cutting institution. Citizens who are born within three to five years of each other (the most common interval among different villages) are grouped together to form a group, with the men and women then further divided into separate groups. Each group would be named after an important event of the time and within each. These groups were convenient for disrupting responsibilities and duties, for example the younger age group would fetching water while the elder groups were in charge of making decisions for the town. At times of war, each group would act as a segment under the lead of a member from an adult group. Members of each group have the opportunity to develop strong lifelong friendships, which helped function a community more effectively. The age group system allowed societies to remember past events, allocate jobs, and promote respect.