Archaeological Approaches to Inequality, Political Organisation, and Social Complexity

Foreword of the series editorsPreface of the book editorsIntroductionV. P. J. Arponen, René Ohlrau, Konrad OttQuestioning the capitalist lens: Anarchism as a critical theory for assessing sociopolitical dynamics and inequality in the pastBill AngelbeckExclusionary-corporate dimension of governanceGary M. FeinmanA bottom-up perspective on wealth and power in the archaeological discourse on inequalityMartin FurholtMaterial correlates of inequality: A case study from the Viking AgeOrri VésteinssonA conceptual foundation and operationalisation of the capability approach for archaeology: A case study from the Cucuteni-Trypillia societiesRené Ohlrau, V. P. J. Arponen, Tim KerigFeaturing internationally leading contributions on archaeological theories of inequality, political organisation, and social complexity, this concise collection explores alternative and complementary perspectives to dominant approaches to inequality. The book illustrates the breadth and depth of archaeological theory in this arena, discusses ways of operationalising theory in archaeology, and suggests connections to present day debates and approaches.Drawing on recent advances in archaeological theory, the volume critically discusses conventional narratives that treat hierarchy and centralised authority as inevitable outcomes of the emergence of social complexity in human history. A remarkable diversity of organisational forms is evident in the archaeological record, demonstrating that collective action and consensual power have been features of human social life across time and space as pervasive as hierarchy and domination-based power. Chapters interrogate how communities of varying sizes and characteristics have navigated the tension between egalitarian practices and hierarchical pressures.The collection further argues that multi-dimensional accounts of capital and power are both possible and necessary for understanding the past and indeed present nature of inequality. The volume discusses how symbolic, social, and material forms of capital generate, distribute – and indeed maldistribute – types of wealth beyond material welfare, each relevant for an understanding of societal dynamics in the distant past as in the present. Alongside different forms of power and wealth, the collection also explores what the archaeological record can reveal about the perspectives and opportunities available to past peoples and the structural conditions that expanded or constrained their well-being.