Chiefdom deities are intermediate between forager spirits and full Big Gods

Evidence

Even chiefdoms—groups that are larger and more hierarchical than hunter-gatherers, but much smaller and socially less stratified than states—do not necessarily have full-scale Big Gods, though their supernatural powers are more than what is found among hunter-gatherers. These then, are “intermediate” deities that have not fully transformed into Big Gods. — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 399

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces the intermediate-deity category that bridges small gods and Big Gods — a graded typology useful for the reader’s analytical frame.