dʒˈɑːn wˈɛsli pˈaʊɛl kɹˈɛdɪɾᵻd ˈeɪntʃənt səsˈaɪəɾi æz "ðə mˈoʊst nˈoʊtwɜːði ɐtˈɛmpt hˈɪðɚtˌuː mˌeɪd tə dɪstˈɪŋɡwɪʃ ænd dᵻfˈaɪn kjˈʊlʊɹstˈeɪdʒᵻz".
John Wesley Powell credited Ancient Society as "the most noteworthy attempt hitherto made to distinguish and define culure-stages".