Myths of the Archaic State: Evolution of the Earliest Cities, States, and Civilizations Book

In this ground-breaking work, Norman Yoffee challenges prevailing myths underpinning our understanding of the evolution of the earliest cities, states, and civilizations. He counters the emphasis in traditional scholarship that the earliest states...

Classical archaeology promotes the view that a state's evolution reflected general, universal forces. Norman Yoffee challenges this model by presenting more complex and multi-linear models for the evolution of civilizations. In his ground-breaking collection of essays he challenges the definition of the prehistoric state, particularly that which hearlds 'the chiefdom' as the forerunner of the ancient state. He explores questions of agency and identity with case studies on the role of women in ancient societies. He examines the building of archaeological theory and the new direction that it is taking.