Signs of Power : The Rise of Cultural Complexity in the Southeast

Traces the sources of power and large-scale organization of prehistoric peoples among Archaic societies.By focusing on the first instances of mound building, pottery making, fancy polished stone and bone, as well as specialized chipped stone, artifacts, and their widespread exchange, this book explores the sources of power and organization among Archaic societies. It investigates the origins of these technologies and their effects on long-term (evolutionary) and short-term (historical) change.The characteristics of first origins in social complexity belong to 5,000- to 6,000-year-old Archaic groups who inhabited the southeastern United States. In Signs of Power, regional specialists identify the conditions, causes, and consequences that define organization and social complexity in societies. Often termed "big mound power," these considerations include the role of demography, kinship, and ecology in sociocultural change; the meaning of geometry and design in sacred groupings; the degree of advancement in stone tool technologies; and differentials in shell ring sizes that reflect social inequality. Traces the sources of power and large-scale organization of prehistoric peoples among Archaic societies. By focusing on the first instances of mound building, pottery making, fancy polished stone and bone, as well as specialized chipped stone, artifacts, and their widespread exchange, this book explores the sources of power and organization among Archaic societies. It investigates the origins of these technologies and their effects on long-term (evolutionary) and short-term (historical) change. The characteristics of first origins in social complexity belong to 5,000- to 6,000-year-old Archaic groups who inhabited the southeastern United States. In Signs of Power, regional specialists identify the conditions, causes, and consequences that define organization and social complexity in societies. Often termed'big mound power,'these considerations include the role of demography, kinship, and ecology in sociocultural change; the meaning of geometry and design in sacred groupings; the degree of advancement in stone tool technologies; and differentials in shell ring sizes that reflect social inequality.

by Focusing On The First Instances Of Mound Building, Pottery Making, And The Widespread Exchange Of Polished Or Chipped Stone And Bone Tools, This Book Explores The Sources Of Power And Organization Among Archaic Societies. In Signs Of Power, Regional Specialists Seek To Identify The Conditions, Causes, And Consequences Of Archaic Socipolitical Organization And Complexity. Sometimes Referred To As Big Mound Power, These Considerations Include The Role Of Demography, Kinship, And Ecology In Sociocultural Change; The Meaning Of Geometry And Design In Sacred Constructions; The Social Implications Of Particular Stone And Bone Objects; The Relationship Between Reciprocity And Mound Building; The Meaning Of Shell Ring Size And Shape On Social Inequality; And The Bearing Of Long-distance Exchange On Organization. Throughout The Book, Authors Wrestle With The Issue Of How Materiality And Organizational Complexity Are Related.

By focusing on the first instances of mound building, pottery making, fancy polished stone and bone, as well as specialized chipped stone, artefacts, and their widespread exchange, this book explores the sources of power and organization among Archaic societies.