The Power of Ritual in Prehistory: Secret Societies and Origins of Social Complexity - Image 1

£104.99

Cambridge University Press The Power of Ritual in Prehistory: Secret Societies and Origins of Social Complexity

Name: The Power of Ritual in Prehistory: Secret Societies and Origins of Social Complexity
Brand: Cambridge University Press
Price: 104.99 GBP
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Prehistory

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Description

The Power of Ritual in Prehistory is the first book in nearly a century to deal with traditional secret societies from a comparative perspective and the first from an archaeological viewpoint. Providing a clear definition, as well as the material signatures, of ethnographic secret societies, Brian Hayden demonstrates how they worked, what motivated their organizers, and what tactics they used to obtain what they wanted. He shows that far from working for the welfare of their communities, traditional secret societies emerged as predatory organizations operated for the benefit of their own members. Moreover, and contrary to the prevailing ideas that prehistoric rituals were used to integrate communities, Hayden demonstrates how traditional secret societies created divisiveness and inequalities. They were one of the key tools for increasing political control leading to chiefdoms, states, and world religions. Hayden's conclusions will be eye-opening, not only for archaeologists, but also for anthropologists, political scientists, and scholars of religion.

Key Features

The Power of Ritual in Prehistory: Secret Societies and Origins of Social Complexity

Featured Stores Books Subjects Politics Social Sciences Archaeology

Product Type: ABIS_BOOK

Brand: Cambridge University Press

Product Specifications

Brand: Cambridge University Press
Format: hardcover
ASIN: 1108426395
Category: Books > Subjects > History > Ancient History & Civilisation > Prehistory
Domain: Amazon UK
Release Date: 13 September 2018
Listed Since: 18 March 2018

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Cambridge University Press The Power of Ritual in Prehistory: Secret Societies and Origins of Social Complexity

About as cheap as it gets. The only time it was cheaper was 2 months ago.

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