The Power of Ritual in Prehistory
Secret Societies and Origins of Social Complexity
Published on 17. September 2018
412 pages
978-1-108-60604-2 (ISBN)
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.
Reviews / Votes
'This is a strong book and a fascinating account of practices ... It gives us clear examples of secret societies in a variety of cultures and helps us get an appreciation for how they might have functioned in the past as well as how this undermines perceived notions of the role of religion in ancient societies.' Joanne M.A. Murphy, American Journal of ArchaeologyMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises; 4 Maps; 64 Halftones, black and white
File size
50,10 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-108-60604-2 (9781108606042)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
09/2018
Cambridge University Press
€152.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Brian Hayden is a Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia and Professor Emeritus at Simon Fraser University. In addition to excavating sites on three continents, he has conducted ethnoarchaeological research in Australia, British Columbia, Guatemala, Mexico, Polynesia, and Southeast Asia. These studies have resulted in new models of domestication, feasting, social inequalities, and now ritual and religion. Hayden has been recognized for this pioneering work as a member of the Royal Society of Canada. His other works include The Power of Feasts (Cambridge, 2014), Shamans, Sorcerers, and Saints: A Prehistory of Religion (2003), and Archaeology: The Science of Once and Future Things (1993).
Content
1. The secret; Part I. The New World: 2. The complex hunter/gatherers of the American Northwest; 3. California; 4. The American Southwest and Mesoamerica; 5. Plains secret societies; 6. The Eastern woodlands and others; Part II. The Old World: 7. Oceania; 8. Chiefdoms in Central Africa; 9. West Africa; Part III. Implications For Prehistory: 10. Archaeological applications; 11. Conclusions.
