Why did ancient states collapse? : the dysfunctional state / Malcolm Levitt.
Material type:
TextSeries: Access archaeologyPublisher: Oxford : Archaeopress Publishing Ltd, [2019]Copyright date: ©2019Description: 1 online resource (viii, 42 pages).)Content type: - text
- still image
- computer
- online resource
- 9781789693034
- 1789693039
- 930 23
- CB311 .L48 2019
| Item type | Current library | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
eBook
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e-Library | EBSCO Social Science | Available |
Includes bibliographical references.
Print version record.
Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Information -- Contents -- Abstract -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- I. Introduction: meaning, origins, fragility, cyclicality and collapse of ancient states, -- Meaning -- Increasing complexity -- Farming -- Population growth -- Chiefdoms and pathways to states -- Competition, coercion, consensus -- Fragility -- Cyclicality -- Meaning of collapse -- Evidence of collapse -- Explanations of collapse -- II. The dysfunctional state -- The state's core functions -- Conditions necessary for fulfilling the state's functions -- Collapse as dysfunction
III. Egyptian Old Kingdom -- Collapse -- Explanations of collapse -- IV. Mycenaean Palace States -- Collapse -- Explanations of collapse: Earthquakes -- Climate change -- Decline in foreign trade -- Warfare techniques -- Sea Peoples -- Interstate Mycenaean warfare -- Internal strife -- Rural collapse -- Systems collapse -- Conclusions -- V. The Western Roman Empire -- What Collapsed? -- What caused collapse? -- Christianity -- Barbarians -- Failure of the Eastern Empire to help -- Internal strife -- Economic factors -- Natural Disasters -- Conclusions -- VI. Classic Mayan collapse -- Collapse
Causes of collapse -- Climate Change, Drought -- Internal and external strife and violence -- VII. Inequality -- Inequality and state collapse -- Inequality and violence in ancient states. -- Evidence of popular resentment -- Conclusions -- VIII. Summary and Conclusions -- Bibliography
Rooted in agriculture, sedentism and population growth, ancient states were fragile and prone to collapse. There is an ongoing debate about the importance, nature and even existence of state-wide collapse. This book investigates why ancient states collapsed and examines to what extent inequality contributed to their downfall.
Added to collection customer.56279.3