The Comparative Archaeology of Complex Societies

2011-09-05
 |  Social Science
The Comparative Archaeology of Complex Societies

Author: Michael E. Smith

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

ISBN: 9781139502030

Category: Social Science

Page:

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Part of a resurgence in the comparative study of ancient societies, this book presents a variety of methods and approaches to comparative analysis through the examination of wide-ranging case studies. Each chapter is a comparative study, and the diverse topics and regions covered in the book contribute to the growing understanding of variation and change in ancient complex societies. The authors explore themes ranging from urbanization and settlement patterns, to the political strategies of kings and chiefs, to the economic choices of individuals and households. The case studies cover an array of geographical settings, from the Andes to Southeast Asia. The authors are leading archaeologists whose research on early empires, states, and chiefdoms is at the cutting edge of scientific archaeology.

Domination and Resistance

2005-06-27
 |  Social Science
Domination and Resistance

Author: Daniel Miller

Publisher: Routledge

ISBN: 9781134806720

Category: Social Science

Page: 356

View: 274

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The nature of power - one of the central concerns in social science - is the main theme of this wide-ranging book. Introducing a much broader historical and geographical comparative understanding of domination and resistance than is available elsewhere, the editors and contributors offer a wealth of perspectives and case studies. They illustrate the application of these ideas to issues as diverse as ritualized space, the nature of hierarchy in non-capitalist contexts and the production of archaeological discourse. Drawing on considerable experience in promoting interaction between archaeology and other disciplines concerned with ideology, power and social transformation, the editors have brought together a stimulating book that will be of widespread interest amongst students of archaeology, ancient history, sociology, anthropology and human geography.

The Collapse of Complex Societies

1988
 |  Social Science
The Collapse of Complex Societies

Author: Joseph Tainter

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

ISBN: 052138673X

Category: Social Science

Page: 268

View: 915

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Twenty-four examples of societal collapse help develop a new theory to account for their breakdown. Detailed studies of the Roman, Mayan and Cacoan collapses clarify the processes of disintegration.

Centre and Periphery

2005-08-04
 |  Social Science
Centre and Periphery

Author: Tim Champion

Publisher: Routledge

ISBN: 9781134806799

Category: Social Science

Page: 268

View: 828

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There has recently been much interest among geographers, historians and political theorists in concepts of centre and periphery. In this book a wide range of studies consider how such concepts can be used to clarify our understanding of pre-capitalist societies.

Storage in Ancient Complex Societies

2016-05-20
 |  Social Science
Storage in Ancient Complex Societies

Author: Linda R. Manzanilla

Publisher: Routledge

ISBN: 9781315520964

Category: Social Science

Page: 350

View: 942

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The ability to accumulate and store large amounts of goods is a key feature of complex societies in ancient times. Storage strategies reflect the broader economic and political organization of a society and changes in the development of control mechanisms in both administrative and non-administrative—often kinship based—sectors. This is the first volume to examine storage practices in ancient complex societies from a comparative perspective. This volume includes 14 original papers by leading archaeologists from four continents which compare storage systems in three key regions with lengthy traditions of complexity: the ancient Near East, Mesoamerica, and Andes. Storage in Ancient Complex Societies demonstrates the importance of understanding storage for the study of cultural evolution.

State and Society

1995
 |  Political anthropology
State and Society

Author: John Gledhill

Publisher: Psychology Press

ISBN: 9780415122559

Category: Political anthropology

Page: 366

View: 716

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The traditional Eurocentric view of state formation and the rise of civilization is challenged in this broad-ranging book. Bringing archaeological research into contact with the work of ethno-historians and anthropologists, it generates a discussion of fundamental concepts rather than a search for modern analogies for processes that occurred in the past.

Ancient Complex Societies

2017-01-06
 |  Social Science
Ancient Complex Societies

Author: Jennifer C. Ross

Publisher: Routledge

ISBN: 9781315305615

Category: Social Science

Page: 428

View: 238

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Ancient Complex Societies examines the archaeological evidence for the rise and functioning of politically and socially “complex” cultures in antiquity. Particular focus is given to civilizations exhibiting positions of leadership, social and administrative hierarchies, emerging and already developed complex religious systems, and economic differentiation. Case studies are drawn from around the globe, including Asia, the Mediterranean region, and the American continents. Using case studies from Africa, Polynesia, and North America, discussion is dedicated to identifying what “complex” means and when it should be applied to ancient systems. Each chapter attempts to not only explore the sociopolitical and economic elements of ancient civilizations, but to also present an overview of what life was like for the later population within each system, sometimes drilling down to individual people living their daily lives. Throughout the chapters, the authors address problems with the idea of complexity, the incomparability of cultures, and the inconsistency of archaeological and historical evidence in reconstructing ancient cultures.