Peer Polity Interaction and Socio-political Change

Peer Polity Interaction and Socio-political Change
Author: Colin Renfrew
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 200
Release: 1986-05-29
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780521229142

Thirteen leading archaeologists have contributed to this innovative study of the socio-political processes - notably imitation, competition, warfare, and the exchange of material goods and information - that can be observed within early complex societies, particularly those just emerging into statehood. The common aim is to explain the remarkable formal similarities that exist between institutions, ideologies and material remains in a variety of cultures characterised by independent political centres yet to be brought under the control of a single, unified jurisdiction. A major statement of the conceptual approach is followed by ten case studies from a wide variety of times and places, including Minoan Crete, early historic Greece and Japan, the classic Maya, the American Mid - west in the Hopewellian period, Europe in the Early Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, and the British Isles in the late Neolithic.

World Prehistory and Archaeology

World Prehistory and Archaeology
Author: Michael Chazan
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 485
Release: 2017-08-22
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1351802895

An Integrated Picture of Prehistory as an Active Process of Discovery World Prehistory and Archaeology: Pathways through Time, fourth edition, provides an integrated discussion of world prehistory and archaeological methods. This text emphasizes the relevance of how we know and what we know about our human prehistory. A cornerstone of World Prehistory and Archaeology is the discussion of prehistory as an active process of discovery. Methodological issues are addressed throughout the text to engage readers. Archaeological methods are introduced in the first two chapters. Succeeding chapters then address the question of how we know the past to provide an integrated presentation of prehistory. The fourth edition involves readers in the current state of archaeological research, revealing how archaeologists work and interpret what they find. Through the coverage of various new research, author Michael Chazan shows how archaeology is truly a global discipline. Learning Goals Upon completing this book, readers will be able to: * Gain new perspectives and insights into who we are and how our world came into being. * Think about humanity from the perspective of archaeology. * Appreciate the importance of the archaeological record for contemporary society.

Rethinking Mycenaean Palaces II

Rethinking Mycenaean Palaces II
Author: Michael L. Galaty
Publisher: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2007-12-31
Genre: History
ISBN: 1938770951

This revised and expanded edition of the classic 1999 edited book includes all the chapters from the original volume plus a new, updated, introduction and several new chapters. The current book is an up-to-date review of research into Mycenaean palatial systems with chapters by archaeologists and Linear B specialists that will be useful to scholars, instructors, and advanced students. This book aims to define more accurately the term "palace" in light of both recent archaeological research in the Aegean and current anthropological thinking on the structure and origin of early states. Regional centers do not exist as independent entities. They articulate with more extensive sociopolitical systems. The concept of palace needs to be incorporated into enhanced models of Mycenaean state organization, ones that more completely integrate primary centers with networks of regional settlement and economy.

Classic Maya Polities of the Southern Lowlands

Classic Maya Polities of the Southern Lowlands
Author: Damien B. Marken
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
Total Pages: 293
Release: 2015-11-02
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1457197243

"Classic Maya Polities of the Southern Lowlands investigates Maya political and social structure in the southern lowlands, assessing, comparing, and interpreting the wide variation in Classic period Maya polity and city composition, development, and integration. Traditionally, discussions of Classic Maya political organization have been dominated by the debate over whether Maya polities were centralized or decentralized. With new, largely unpublished data from several recent archaeological projects, this book examines the premises, strengths, and weaknesses of these two perspectives before moving beyond this long-standing debate and into different territory.The volume examines the articulations of the various social and spatial components of Maya polity—the relationships, strategies, and practices that bound households, communities, institutions, and dynasties into enduring (or short-lived) political entities. By emphasizing the internal negotiation of polity, the contributions provide an important foundation for a more holistic understanding of how political organization functioned in the Classic period."

The American Southwest and Mesoamerica

The American Southwest and Mesoamerica
Author: Jonathon E. Ericson
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2013-11-11
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1489911499

Regional approaches to the study of prehistoric exchange have generated much new knowledge about intergroup and regional interaction. The American South west and Mesoamerica: Systems of Prehistoric Exchange is the first of two volumes that seek to provide current information regarding regional exchange on a conti nental basis. From a theoretical perspective, these volumes provide important data for the comparative analysis of regional systems relative to sociopolitical organization from simple hunter-gatherers to those of complex sociopolitical entities like the state. Although individual regional exchange systems are unique for each region and time period, general patterns emerge relative to sOciopolitical organization. Of significant interest to us are the dynamic processes of change, stability, rate of growth, and collapse of regional exchange systems relative to sociopolitical complexity. These volumes provide basic data to further our under standing of prehistoric exchange systems. The volume presents our current state of knowledge about regional exchange systems in the American Southwest and Mesoamerica. Each chapter synthesizes the research findings of a number of other researchers in order to provide a synchronic view of regional interaction for a specific chronological period. A diachronic view is also prOvided for regional interaction in the context of the developments in regional SOciopolitical organization. Most authors go beyond description by proposing alternative models within which to understand regional interaction. The book is organized by geographical and chronological divisions to pro vide units of the broader mosaic of prehistoric exchange systems.

Archaeology: The Key Concepts

Archaeology: The Key Concepts
Author: Colin Renfrew
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 317
Release: 2013-09-05
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1134370415

An invaluable resource, providing an up-to-date and comprehensive survey of the key terms used in this discipline today.

Ancient History from Coins

Ancient History from Coins
Author: Christopher Howgego
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2002-09-11
Genre: History
ISBN: 1134877846

Like other volumes in this series, Ancient History from Coins demystifies a specialism, introducing students (from first year upwards) to the techniques, methods, problems and advantages of using coins to do ancient history. Coins are a fertile source of information for the ancient historian; yet too often historians are uneasy about using them as evidence because of the special problems attaching to their interpretation. The world of numismatics is not always easy for the non-specialist to penetrate or understand with confidence. Dr Howgego describes and anlyses the main contributions the study of coins can make to ancient history, showing shows through numerous examples how the character, patterns and behaviour of coinage bear on major historical themes. Topics range from state finance and economic policy to imperial domination and political propaganda through coins types. The period covered by the book is from the invention of coinage (ca 600BC) to AD 400.

Domination and Resistance

Domination and Resistance
Author: Hasel
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 397
Release: 2023-09-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 9004663126

In the narrow sense this volume deals with Egyptian military activity in the southern Levant, about 1300 to 1185 B.C. In the broad sense it provides a case study for the integration of historical, archaeological, and anthropological perspectives. Basing himself on a new comprehensive concordance of terms in Egyptian military accounts, the author starts with a contextual analysis of over thirty terms and clauses. With the Egyptian perception of events established, two chapters are devoted to the archaeological evidence for Egyptian presence, influence, and destruction at over forty site, regional, and socio-ethnic toponyms in the southern Levant. In conclusion, an unprecedented research paradigm is presented for the assessment of Egyptian military activity. This volume includes illustrations, maps, and an extensive bibliography essential to Near Eastern historians, sociologists, archaeologists, Egyptologists and biblical scholars.

Networks and the Spread of Ideas in the Past

Networks and the Spread of Ideas in the Past
Author: Anna Collar
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2022-05-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 042976930X

Networks and the Spread of Ideas in the Past: Strong Ties, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange gathers contributions from an international group of scholars to reconsider the role that strong social ties play in the transmission of new ideas, and their crucial place in network analyses of the past. Drawing on case studies that range from the early Iron Age Mediterranean to medieval Britain, the contributing authors showcase the importance of looking at strong social ties in the transmission of complex information, which requires relationships structured through mutual trust, memory, and reciprocity. They highlight the importance of sanctuaries in the process of information transmission, the power of narrative in creating a sense of community even across geographical space, and the control of social systems in order to facilitate or stifle new information transfer. Networks and the Spread of Ideas in the Past demonstrates the value of searching the past for powerful social connections, offers us the chance to tell more human stories through our analyses, and represents an essential new addition to the study and use of networks in archaeology and history. The book will be useful to academics and students working in the Digital Humanities, History, and Archaeology.

The Archaeology of South Asia

The Archaeology of South Asia
Author: Robin Coningham
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 557
Release: 2015-08-31
Genre: History
ISBN: 0521846978

This book synthesises the archaeology of South Asia from the Neolithic period (c.6500 BCE) to the third century BCE.