▁collapse ▁may ▁have ▁brought ▁a ▁higher ▁standard ▁of ▁living , ▁and ▁freedom . ▁To ▁support ▁this ▁view , ▁he ▁highlight s ▁how ▁state ▁collapse ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁disp ersion ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁resulting ▁in ▁easier ▁access ▁to ▁food ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁freedom ▁from ▁the ▁brut ality ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁and ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁sur plus ▁to ▁sust ain ▁the ▁el ite . ▁ ▁Chapter ▁ 7 . ▁The ▁Golden ▁Age ▁of ▁the ▁Barb ari ans ▁ ▁Scott ▁views ▁" bar bar ian " ▁ra iders ▁as ▁having ▁a ▁sym bi otic ▁relationship ▁with ▁the ▁early ▁states . ▁They ▁ra ided ▁the ▁gra in ▁cent ers , ▁but ▁also ▁trad ed ▁many ▁goods ▁from ▁more ▁remote ▁areas ▁such ▁as ▁met als ▁or ▁animal ▁parts . ▁Scott ▁thus ▁the or izes ▁that ▁up ▁until ▁ 4 0 0 ▁or ▁so ▁years ▁ago ▁human ity ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁" G old en ▁Age ▁of ▁the ▁Barb ari ans ." ▁This ▁was ▁an ▁era ▁when ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁world s ▁population ▁had ▁never ▁seen ▁a ▁tax ▁collect or . ▁Part ▁of ▁this ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁" Bar bar ian ▁Z ones ," ▁i . e . ▁great ▁tract s ▁of ▁land ▁where ▁the ▁state ▁found ▁it ▁either ▁impossible ▁or ▁prohib it ively ▁difficult ▁to ▁extend ▁its ▁rule . ▁Places ▁like ▁" mount ains ▁and ▁ste pp es ," ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁" un cle ared ▁dense ▁forest , ▁sw amps , ▁mar sh es , ▁river ▁del t as , ▁f