The concept of civilization has long been the basis for theories
about how societies evolve. This provocative book challenges that
concept. The author argues that a “civilization bias” shapes
academic explanations of urbanization, colonization, state
formation, and cultural horizons. Earlier theorists have criticized
the concept, but according to Jennings the critics remain beholden
to it as a way of making sense of a dizzying landscape of cultural
variation. Relying on the idea of civilization, he suggests, holds
back understanding of the development of complex societies. Killing
Civilization uses case studies from across the modern and ancient
world to develop a new model of incipient urbanism and its
consequences, using excavation and survey data from Çatalhöyük,
Cahokia, Harappa, Jenne-jeno, Tiahuanaco, and Monte Albán to
create a more accurate picture of the turbulent social, political,
and economic conditions in and around the earliest cities. The book
will influence not just anthropology but all of the social
sciences.
General
Imprint: |
University of New Mexico Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
March 2016 |
Authors: |
Justin Jennings
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 30mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover - Cloth over boards
|
Pages: |
368 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8263-5660-4 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-8263-5660-5 |
Barcode: |
9780826356604 |
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