Social Theory in Archaeology and Ancient History: The Present and Future of Counternarratives

Social Theory in Archaeology and Ancient History: The Present and Future of Counternarratives
ISBN-10
1316453553
ISBN-13
9781316453551
Category
Social Science
Language
English
Published
2015-11-24
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Author
Geoff Emberling

Description

At a time when archaeology has turned away from questions of the long-term and large scale, this collection of essays reflects on some of the big questions in archaeology and ancient history - how and why societies have grown in scale and complexity, how they have maintained and discarded aspects of their own cultural heritage, and how they have collapsed. In addressing these long-standing questions of broad interest and importance, the authors develop counter-narratives - new ways of understanding what used to be termed 'cultural evolution'. Encompassing the Middle East and Egypt, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, the American Southwest and Mesoamerica, the fourteen essays offer perspectives on long-term cultural trajectories; on cities, states and empires; on collapse; and on the relationship between archaeology and history. The book concludes with a commentary by one of the major voices in archaeological theory, Norman Yoffee.

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