Archaeologies of Complexity

Includes bibliographical references (p. 199-229) and index.

Widely banded terms such as complexity', inequality' and stratification' can, and often do, create a furore of animated debate and dispute. In some cases this is because we are unsure as to what these terms actually mean and how to use them, in others lies the firm belief that we do know what they mean, which is perhaps even more alarming. In this book Robert Chapman reinforces the complexities of studying complexity, the ambiguity of terminology, concepts and ideas and the over-use of dichotomies such as equal-unequal, stratified-egalitarian and simple-complex. Reflecting on the past forty years of Anglo-American research in archaeology he questions how we arrived at the concept of differentiation between the haves' and have nots' and how the stages of social evolution have been studied. Presenting ideas and evidence from an Iberian case study, Chapman approaches the debate from a variety of angles where he sees himself as both outsider' and insider'. An eminently readable study that both students and scholars will find useful.

An up-to-date and critical analysis of how archaeologists study past societies, Archaeologies of Complexity addresses the nature of contemporary archaeology and the study of social change, and debates the transition from perceived simple, egalitarian societies to the complex power structures and divisions of our modern world.

Since the eighteenth century, archaeologists have examined complexity in terms of successive types of societies, from early bands, tribes and chiefdoms to states; through stages of social evolution, including 'savagery', 'barbarism' and 'civilisation', to the present state of complexity and inequality.

Presenting a radical, alternative view of ancient state societies, the book explains the often ambiguous terms of 'complexity', 'hierarchy' and inequality' and provides a critical account of the Anglo-American research of the last forty years which has heavily influenced the subject.