Space and Spatial Analysis in Archaeology

Space and Spatial Analysis in Archaeology

Author: University of Calgary. Archaeological Association. Conference

Publisher: UNM Press

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 434

ISBN-13: 9780826340221

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The archaeology of space and place is examined in this selection of papers from the 34th annual Chacmool Archaeological Conference.


Social Complexity and Complex Systems in Archaeology

Social Complexity and Complex Systems in Archaeology

Author: Dries Daems

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-02-22

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 1000344738

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Social Complexity and Complex Systems in Archaeology turns to complex systems thinking in search of a suitable framework to explore social complexity in Archaeology. Social complexity in archaeology is commonly related to properties of complex societies such as states, as opposed to so-called simple societies such as tribes or chiefdoms. These conceptualisations of complexity are ultimately rooted in Eurocentric perspectives with problematic implications for the field of archaeology. This book provides an in-depth conceptualisation of social complexity as the core concept in archaeological and interdisciplinary studies of the past, integrating approaches from complex systems thinking, archaeological theory, social practice theory, and sustainability and resilience science. The book covers a long-term perspective of social change and stability, tracing the full cycle of complexity trajectories, from emergence and development to collapse, regeneration and transformation of communities and societies. It offers a broad vision on social complexity as a core concept for the present and future development of archaeology. This book is intended to be a valuable resource for students and scholars in the field of archaeology and related disciplines such as history, anthropology, sociology, as well as the natural sciences studying human-environment interactions in the past.


Ancient Complex Societies

Ancient Complex Societies

Author: Jennifer C. Ross

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-01-06

Total Pages: 585

ISBN-13: 1315305615

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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.


History, Culture, and Region in Southeast Asian Perspectives

History, Culture, and Region in Southeast Asian Perspectives

Author: O. W. Wolters

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2018-08-06

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 1501732609

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A new edition of this classic study of mandala Southeast Asia. The revised book includes a substantial, retrospective postscript examining contemporary scholarship that has contributed to the understanding of Southeast Asian history since 1982.


Storage in Ancient Complex Societies

Storage in Ancient Complex Societies

Author: Linda R. Manzanilla

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-05-20

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 1315520958

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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.


Archaeologies of Complexity

Archaeologies of Complexity

Author: Robert Chapman

Publisher: Psychology Press

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 9780415273077

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Robert Chapman addresses the nature of contemporary archaeology and the study of social change, and debates the transition from perceived simple, egalitarian societies to our complex modern world.


The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Death and Burial

The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Death and Burial

Author: Sarah Tarlow

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2013-06-06

Total Pages: 870

ISBN-13: 0191650382

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The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Death and Burial reviews the current state of mortuary archaeology and its practice, highlighting its often contentious place in the modern socio-politics of archaeology. It contains forty-four chapters which focus on the history of the discipline and its current scientific techniques and methods. Written by leading, international scholars in the field, it derives its examples and case studies from a wide range of time periods, such as the middle palaeolithic to the twentieth century, and geographical areas which include Europe, North and South America, Africa, and Asia. Combining up-to-date knowledge of relevant archaeological research with critical assessments of the theme and an evaluation of future research trajectories, it draws attention to the social, symbolic, and theoretical aspects of interpreting mortuary archaeology. The volume is well-illustrated with maps, plans, photographs, and illustrations and is ideally suited for students and researchers.


Historical Ecologies, Heterarchies and Transtemporal Landscapes

Historical Ecologies, Heterarchies and Transtemporal Landscapes

Author: Celeste Ray

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-04-23

Total Pages: 447

ISBN-13: 1351167707

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Interlacing varied approaches within Historical Ecology, this volume offers new routes to researching and understanding human–environmental interactions and the heterarchical power relations that shape both socioecological change and resilience over time. Historical Ecology draws from archaeology, archival research, ethnography, the humanities and the biophysical sciences to merge the history of the Earth’s biophysical system with the history of humanity. Considering landscape as the spatial manifestation of the relations between humans and their environments through time, the authors in this volume examine the multi-directional power dynamics that have shaped settlement, agrarian, monumental and ritual landscapes through the long-term field projects they have pursued around the globe. Examining both biocultural stability and change through the longue durée in different regions, these essays highlight intersectionality and counterpoised power flows to demonstrate that alongside and in spite of hierarchical ideologies, the daily life of power is heterarchical. Knowledge of transtemporal human–environmental relationships is necessary for strategizing socioecological resilience. Historical Ecology shows how the past can be useful to the future.


The Way the Wind Blows

The Way the Wind Blows

Author: Roderick J. McIntosh

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 436

ISBN-13: 9780231112093

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Experts in a variety of disciplines in the natural and social sciences--including geology, climatology, history, and anthropology--consider such topics as the dynamics of climate, human perceptions of and responses to the environment, and issues of sustainability and resiliency.