The Archaeology of Politics and Power: Where, When and Why the First States Formed - Softcover

Maisels, Charles Keith

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1842173529 ISBN 13: 9781842173527

Publisher: Oxbow Books, 2010

Synopsis

Using anthropology, archaeology and historical texts, this book sets out to discover three things about state formation: why did qualitatively different types of state emerge where and when they did; why did states form at all; what was the reason for their existence - or non-existence in the case of Indus civilization; and, what can this analysis tell us about the fundamentals of human nature and also about the behaviour of states today. All states are different, even now, even in Europe. They were even more different when they first emerged. Mesopotamia (Iraq) produced the earliest cities and the city-state, derived from large businesslike households organized around the temple as the gods' household.Egypt formed as a large territorial state from chiefdoms dominating villages. In China, which generated no city-states, the territorial state originated in the stratified clan dominated by aristocrats. The state arose in the Andes on a similar basis, that of the descent group. In northwest India, around the Indus river, an extensive, populous and complex society existed for half a millennium without state domination. How is the 'statelessness' of a large urban society to be explained? This work does so and in the process explains the origins of caste in India. Spanning the Andes and Egypt, the Levant and Mesopotamia, India and China, "The Archaeology of Politics and Power" provides insight into the deep history behind current affairs. This book will be of interest to students, teachers and researchers of political science and social science in general, as well as to those in anthropology, archaeology and history.

About this title

Product Description:

Archaeology is not just about the past, but the present and future too. Much of our present condition and future prospects are inevitably bound up with what states do and what they fail to do. To understand the inner-workings and motivations of states one must understand how and why they came into existence in the first place. This book describes how states formed in Egypt and Mesopotamia, China and the Andes, and also how the Indus Civilization functioned without a state. This work spans law, ideology, politics, economics, and psychology, the ancient world and modern history, in order to show how power is obtained, sustained and deployed, and in whose interests. Grounded in archaeological data, it examines human nature, morality, violence and governance, issues of special importance to everyone, but in particular to students of politics, anthropology, psychology and sociology, as well as archaeology.

Review:

Well-researched and free of superfluous jargon, Maiselss fascinating study makes a valuable contribution to the comparative analysis of state formation, a longstanding obsession of archaeologists... Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.'-- (05/01/2011)

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxbow Books
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1842173529
• ISBN 13: 9781842173527
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 488