Archaeological Perspectives on Political Economies

Twelve case studies, presented by Feinman and Nicholas (both of the Department of Anthropology, The Field Museum, Chicago), seek to reconstruct ancient political economies through the interpretation of the empirical archaeological materials and other sources. The papers are not unified in approach and, while not completely avoiding theory, avoid attempts to create a universal theory of economic change. Among the topics explored are the cultural and economic practices of the Mississippian Chiefdoms, the early southern Mesopotamian economy, Roman economies as a singular paradigm, labor obligations and luxury goods in ancient Maya societies, and a comparative look at the ancient political economies of West Africa. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR