What are taxes?

You ask: What taxes?

Every hunter give piece of catch to tribe pile. That pile is taxes. Chief use pile to pay for things no one hunter build alone: bridge over river, wall around camp, healers, teachers for tribe children, watchers who guard at night. These things help everyone, but no single hunter want to pay whole cost — so all must chip in. Not choice; tribe law say pay. Different taxes grab from different places: some take slice when Caveman earn meat (income tax), some when Caveman trade at market (sales tax), some each year for owning cave (property tax). In many big tribes, chief pile swallow about one in every three baskets the whole camp make each winter. Rich hunters often give bigger slice than poor ones — big shoulders carry more. Cave wisdom: taxes are price of living in tribe instead of alone in cold.