Search Results

Intermediate Elites in Pre-Columbian States and Empires

Download or Read eBook Intermediate Elites in Pre-Columbian States and Empires PDF written by Christina M. Elson and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2022-06-21 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle.
Intermediate Elites in Pre-Columbian States and Empires
Author :
Publisher : University of Arizona Press
Total Pages : 312
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780816549900
ISBN-13 : 0816549907
Rating : 4/5 (00 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Intermediate Elites in Pre-Columbian States and Empires by : Christina M. Elson

Book excerpt: From the Mesoamerican highlands to the Colca Valley in Peru, pre-Columbian civilizations were bastions of power that have largely been viewed through the lens of rulership, or occasionally through bottom-up perspectives of resistance. Rather than focusing on rulers or peasants, this book examines how intermediate elites—both men and women—helped to develop, sustain, and resist state policies and institutions. Employing new archaeological and ethnohistorical data, its contributors trace a 2,000-year trajectory of elite social evolution in the Zapotec, Wari, Aztec, Inka, and Maya civilizations. This is the first volume to consider how individuals subordinate to imperial rulers helped to shape specific forms of state and imperial organization. Taking a broader scope than previous studies, it is one of the few works to systematically address these issues in both Mesoamerica and the Central Andes. It considers how these individuals influenced the long-term development of the largest civilizations of the ancient Americas, opening a new window on the role of intermediate elites in the rise and fall of ancient states and empires worldwide. The authors demonstrate how such evidence as settlement patterns, architecture, decorative items, and burial patterns reflect the roles of intermediate elites in their respective societies, arguing that they were influential actors whose interests were highly significant in shaping the specific forms of state and imperial organization. Their emphasis on provincial elites particularly shifts examination of early states away from royal capitals and imperial courts, explaining how local elites and royal bureaucrats had significant impact on the development and organization of premodern states. Together, these papers demonstrate that intricate networks of intermediate elites bound these ancient societies together—and that competition between individuals and groups contributed to their decline and eventual collapse. By addressing current theoretical concerns with agency, resistance to state domination, and the co-option of local leadership by imperial administrators, it offers valuable new insight into the utility of studying intermediate elites.


Intermediate Elites in Pre-Columbian States and Empires Related Books

Intermediate Elites in Pre-Columbian States and Empires
Language: en
Pages: 312
Authors: Christina M. Elson
Categories: Social Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2022-06-21 - Publisher: University of Arizona Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

From the Mesoamerican highlands to the Colca Valley in Peru, pre-Columbian civilizations were bastions of power that have largely been viewed through the lens o
The Laws of Yesterday’s Wars
Language: en
Pages: 234
Authors: Samuel C. Duckett White
Categories: Law
Type: BOOK - Published: 2021-12-20 - Publisher: BRILL

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book offers an exploration of unique laws and customs placed around warfare throughout history, from Indigenous Australians to the American Civil War.
Ritual and Archaic States
Language: en
Pages: 265
Authors: Murphy, Joanne M
Categories: Social Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2016-08-24 - Publisher: University Press of Florida

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

While ritual and archaic states have both been prominent topics in recent archaeological studies, this is the first volume to combine both subjects by exploring
Beyond Collapse
Language: en
Pages: 553
Authors: Ronald K. Faulseit
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2016 - Publisher: SIU Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book interprets how ancient civilizations responded to various stresses, including environmental change, warfare, and the fragmentation of political instit
Tenahaha and the Wari State
Language: en
Pages: 297
Authors: Justin Jennings
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2015 - Publisher: University of Alabama Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Tenahaha and the Wari State presents new findings and interpretations that challenge existing theories of Wari state dominance during the Middle Horizon period
Scroll to top