A Primer on Chiefs and Chiefdoms (Paperback)

Timothy Earle

ISBN 10: 1734281839 / ISBN 13: 9781734281835

Published by Eliot Werner Publications Inc, Clinton Corners, 2021

About this Item

Paperback. Anthropological archaeology is well suited to pursue the study of chiefs, their leadership institutions (chiefdoms), and long-term historical processes. In this book Timothy Earle argues that studying chiefdoms is essential to understanding the role of elemental powers in social evolution. He studies chiefs and their power strategies, using as illustrations historically independent prehistoric and traditional societies; he discusses how chiefs continue to exist as powerful actors within modern states. Chiefs are political operatives who hold titles of leadership over groups larger than intimate kin-based communities; although they rule with the consent of their group, they are all about building personal power and respect. Many scholars have viewed chiefs as problem solvers: defending groups against aggressors, resolving disputes, providing support under hardship, organizing labour for community projects, and redistributing goods among those in need. Chiefs do these things, but much of what they do is to accumulate benefits for themselves, staying in power and legitimizing control. In this book Timothy Earle argues that studying chiefdoms is essential to understanding the role of elemental powers in social evolution. He studies chiefs and their power strategies in historically independent prehistoric and traditional societies and shows how chiefs continue to exist as powerful actors within modern states. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781734281835

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Primer on Chiefs and Chiefdoms (Paperback)
• Publisher: Eliot Werner Publications Inc, Clinton Corners
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1734281839
• ISBN 13: 9781734281835
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Chiefs are political operatives who hold titles of leadership over groups larger than intimate kin-based communities. Although they rule with the consent of their group, they are all about building personal power and respect. Many scholars have viewed chiefs as problem solvers--defending groups against aggressors, resolving disputes, providing support under hardship, organizing labor for community projects, and redistributing goods among those in need. Chiefs do these things, but much of what chiefs do is accumulate benefits for themselves, staying in power and legitimizing control.



Anthropological archaeology is well suited to pursue the study of chiefs, their leadership institutions (chiefdoms), and long-term historical processes. The author argues that studying chiefdoms is essential to understanding the role of elemental powers in social evolution. As an illustration, he studies chiefs and their power strategies in historically independent prehistoric and traditional societies and discusses how they continue to exist as powerful actors within modern states.

About the Author

Timothy Earle is Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University. Since receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan (1973), he has conducted major archaeological field projects in Hawaii, Peru, Argentina, Denmark, and Hungary. He believes that anthropological archaeology is a potent social science investigating history in ways directly relevant to the modern world. His books on political economy include How Chiefs Come to Power and Bronze Age Economics.