State and Society: The Emergence and Development of Social Hierarchy and Political Centralization (One World Archaeology)

The traditional Eurocentric view of state formation and the rise of civilization is vigorously challeged in this unusually broad-ranging, up-to-date and innovative book. Using research from archaeology, ethnology, and anthropology, the authors examine the dynamics of political centralization, the nature of social inequalities, state formation, the nature of bureaucracy and the role of literacy in a variety of historical and geographical contexts. They examine the developments and resistences encountered in state formation and the mechanisms which produce cumulative development on a world-historical scale. United by a common committment to dialogue and to the idea that archaeology cannot exist in isolation from other social and historical sciences, this volume will be essential to all those working on issues of social inequality. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of contributors......Page 6 Foreword......Page 8 Preface......Page 20 Introduction: the comparative analysis of social and political transitions......Page 22 Small fish in a big sea: geographical dispersion and sociopolitical centralization in the Marshall Islands......Page 54 Evolution, sequential hierarchy, and areal integration: the case of traditional Samoan society......Page 64 The Hawaiian transformation of Ancestral Polynesian Society: conceptualizing chiefly states......Page 78 State formation and uneven development......Page 98 Subsistence, social control of resources and the development of complex society in the Valley of Mexico......Page 112 Hierarchization in Maya segmentary states......Page 124 A cycle of development and decline in the early phases of civilization in Palestine: an analysis of the Intermediate Bronze Period (2200-2000 BC)......Page 134 Emerging towns in Benin and Ishan (Nigeria) AD 500-1500......Page 142 Control of resources in the medieval period......Page 158 Copper production and eastern Mediterranean trade: the rise of complex society on Cyprus......Page 170 Introduction: literacy and social complexity......Page 194 Literacy, social organization, and the archaeological record: the case of early Egypt......Page 213 Power and authority in Early Historic Scotland: Pictish symbol stones and other documents......Page 236 Literacy and power: the introduction and use of writing in Early Historic Scotland......Page 258 Inventions of writing......Page 274 Patrimonialism, involution, and the agrarian question in Java: a Weberian analysis of class relations and servile labour......Page 300 Legacies of empire: political centralization and class formation in the Hispanic-American world......Page 323 The centralization of education in Mexico: subordination and autonomy......Page 341 Index......Page 365 Humanities Book Cover 1 Title 4 Contents 5 List of contributors 6 Foreword 8 Preface 20 Introduction: the comparative analysis of social and political transitions 22 Small fish in a big sea: geographical dispersion and sociopolitical centralization in the Marshall Islands 54 Evolution, sequential hierarchy, and areal integration: the case of traditional Samoan society 64 The Hawaiian transformation of Ancestral Polynesian Society: conceptualizing chiefly states 78 State formation and uneven development 98 Subsistence, social control of resources and the development of complex society in the Valley of Mexico 112 Hierarchization in Maya segmentary states 124 A cycle of development and decline in the early phases of civilization in Palestine: an analysis of the Intermediate Bronze Period (2200-2000 BC) 134 Emerging towns in Benin and Ishan (Nigeria) AD 500-1500 142 Control of resources in the medieval period 158 Copper production and eastern Mediterranean trade: the rise of complex society on Cyprus 170 Introduction: literacy and social complexity 194 Literacy, social organization, and the archaeological record: the case of early Egypt 213 Power and authority in Early Historic Scotland: Pictish symbol stones and other documents 236 Literacy and power: the introduction and use of writing in Early Historic Scotland 258 Inventions of writing 274 Patrimonialism, involution, and the agrarian question in Java: a Weberian analysis of class relations and servile labour 300 Legacies of empire: political centralization and class formation in the Hispanic-American world 323 The centralization of education in Mexico: subordination and autonomy 341 Index 365 "The traditional Eurocentric view of state formation and the rise of civilisations is vigorously challenged in this broad-ranging and innovative volume. By bringing archaeological research into contact with the work of ethno-historians and anthropologists, and by constantly challenging trends in interpretation, State and Society offers analyses of political centralization and resistance to it in a diverse range of historical and geographical contexts."--Jacket Edited By John Gledhill, Barbara Bender, And Mogens Trolle Larsen. Reprint. Originally Published: London : Unwin Hyman, 1988. Papers From The World Archaeological Congress Held In Southampton, England, In September 1986. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Bringing archaeological research into contact with the work of ethno-historians and anthropologists, these papers analyze the dynamics of political centralization, and resistance to it, in a wide range of historical and geographical contexts. The Marshall Islands, which at present consist of two island chains and two isolated atolls, have been ruled by 'paramount chiefs' and local island chiefs since the beginning of the colonial era (1885).