The Collapse of Complex Societies
Part of New Studies in Archaeology
- Author: Joseph Tainter
- Date Published: March 1990
- availability: Available
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521386739
Paperback
Looking for an inspection copy?
This title is not currently available on inspection
-
Any explanation of political collapse carries lessons not just for the study of ancient societies, but for the members of all complex societies in both the present and future. Dr Tainter describes nearly two dozen cases of collapse and reviews more than 2000 years of explanations. He then develops a new and far-reaching theory that accounts for collapse among diverse kinds of societies, evaluating his model and clarifying the processes of disintegration by detailed studies of the Roman, Mayan and Chacoan collapses.
Reviews & endorsements
'Tainter's model accommodates all levels of complexity and all kinds of evidence. It deserves to be widely read.' Antiquity
See more reviews'Tainter's is an attractive and compelling thesis, of a genre which is nearly extinct among domestic historians.' History Today
Customer reviews
Not yet reviewed
Be the first to review
Review was not posted due to profanity
×Product details
- Date Published: March 1990
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521386739
- length: 262 pages
- dimensions: 247 x 174 x 15 mm
- weight: 0.536kg
- contains: 31 b/w illus.
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction to collapse
2. The nature of complex societies
3. The study of collapse
4. Understanding collapse: the marginal productivity of sociopolitical change
5. Evaluation: complexity and marginal returns in collapsing societies
6. Summary and implications
References
Index.Instructors have used or reviewed this title for the following courses
- Archaeology Theory
- Capitalism, Justice, and Sustainability
- Civilizations and Collapse
- Collapse: Culture and Catastrophe
- Introduction to World Prehistory
- Philosophy and the Environment
- Rise and Fall of Ancient States
- Sustainability and Community
Related Books
related journals
Sorry, this resource is locked
Please register or sign in to request access. If you are having problems accessing these resources please email lecturers@cambridge.org
Register Sign in» Proceed
You are now leaving the Cambridge University Press website. Your eBook purchase and download will be completed by our partner www.ebooks.com. Please see the permission section of the www.ebooks.com catalogue page for details of the print & copy limits on our eBooks.
Continue ×Are you sure you want to delete your account?
This cannot be undone.
Thank you for your feedback which will help us improve our service.
If you requested a response, we will make sure to get back to you shortly.
×